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Alberta Minister Defends Bison Hunt

From Alberta Index
EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada — The Alberta government has defended its decision to allow the controlled hunting of bison in the province’s northwestern Hay-Zama Wildlife Management Area.

“The Hay-Zama bison hunt is part of Alberta’s interim strategy to manage this wood bison population,” said Ted Morton, minister of sustainable resource development. “We are working to maintain a healthy and secure bison population.”

The high population of bison near the community and road networks has led to an increased occurrence of vehicle collisions and concerns of public safety as bison have wandered into public areas such as playgrounds. A reduced bison population can ensure Albertans in the area feel safe driving in their community, said the ministry.

The government said it has agreed to allow a special hunt for 2008-09 following rapid increases in local bison numbers. Licenses for aboriginal Albertans will support a traditional hunt while non-aboriginal hunters will be able to apply for a draw for a portion of the available licenses.

The hunt will be confined to northwestern Alberta to manage the province’s only free-range, disease-free wood bison population.

The Hay-Zama area established a range of 40,000 square kilometers as a secure area and a population goal of 400 bison. The current population of 700 is expanding and now at risk of diseases, such as tuberculosis and brucellosis, from bison populations expanding westward from Wood Buffalo National Park.

Alberta is part of the National Wood Bison Strategy in Canada. The province’s wood bison population began with 29 animals transported to the Hay-Zama area in 1984 from Elk Island National Park. Working closely with the Dene Tha’, along with Northwest Territories, Yukon and British Columbia, Alberta’s wildlife managers are supporting a network of free-ranging, disease-free wood bison herds as part of the species’ recovery.

The current population management strategy is to provide two-thirds of licenses to aboriginal Albertans. A booklet, 2008 Alberta Hunting Draws, will be available in late May for resident hunters interested in applying for the bison special hunting license, as well as other hunting opportunities in Alberta. Successful draw applicants will receive further information regarding details and logistics for the Hay-Zama hunt.

Wood bison are a threatened species under Environment Canada’s Species at Risk Act and endangered under Alberta’s Wildlife Act. Hunts of bison in the Yukon and Northwest Territories are an accepted part of ongoing wildlife management of this species. A long-term plan to re-establish wood bison across northern Alberta is being developed.