Deer on Sidney Island get a reprieve as Parks Canada pauses their deer eradication plan
Animal protection advocates call for a federal wildlife management policy ensuring that all non-lethal measures be fully employed before lethal actions are considered
TORONTO, Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Animal Alliance of Canada and the Animal Protection Party of Canada commends the residents of Sidney Island, British Columbia for achieving a pause of Parks Canada’s eradication of deer. The use of 35k of net fencing proved to be hazardous to the deer, with 6 known to be caught and causing the deaths of at least two.
“This is encouraging for those who are opposed to the plans and exposed the deer suffering”, said Liz White, Leader of the Animal Protection Party of Canada. “If the islanders had not exposed to the public the deer caught in the netting, I doubt we would be seeing a pause. The Park knew it was happening and said nothing until the video was released. I speak from experience when I say it is highly unusual for Parks Canada to back down from a plan such as deer eradication. It is unclear how Parks Canada will move forward but our immediate concern is to have all 35k of net fencing removed from the island so no more deer become entrapped and die.”
Animal Alliance of Canada and the Animal Protection Party of Canada continue to encourage a change of strategy within Parks Canada regarding the treatment of deer and other species of wildlife.
The organizations call on the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, to mandate that Parks Canada modernize its approach to management of national parklands including:
- Non-lethal methods should always be the primary method of wildlife management on natural lands.
- Various contraceptive methods have been shown to work well to reduce the numbers of fawns born and must be fully employed for at least three years on Sidney Island before lethal measures are reconsidered.
“Committing to this non-lethal approach is the appropriate next step for Parks Canada, and one that we Canadians should demand from any government agency,” White continued. “It’s time for a major shift in the internal culture within Parks Canada. That agency has demonstrated an over-reliance on killing animals when they claim that wildlife compromise ecological integrity.”
“For too long wildlife have been treated as enemies of the eco-system of national parks, instead of participants in the habitats where they reside,” says Barry MacKay, Honourary Director, Animal Alliance of Canada.
“Plant-life matters,” states MacKay, “but there are other measures available to protect plants from grazing, and all of those measures should be fully employed.”
“If Parks Canada insists on interfering in natural processes and the interactions of animals and plants, killing should not be the first and only solution that comes to mind. Committing to prioritizing humane, non-lethal methodologies that are increasingly available should be the mandate of tax-funded agencies,” summarizes White.
Liz White
Leader, Animal Protection Party of Canada
liz@animalprotectionparty.ca
416-809-4371
Barry Kent MacKay
Honourary Director, Animal Alliance of Canada
barry@animalalliance.ca
905-472-9731
