BC’s wolves deserve better

There has been much controversy over the “Draft management plan for the Grey Wolf in British Columbia” recently put forward by the provincial government’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources.

This is a deeply flawed management plan that contains many scientifically unsound and uninformed objectives.  The plan also represents an exaggerated view of the impacts of wolves on both the livestock industry as well as hunting opportunities, while failing to consider the many ecological and economic benefits of having significant wolf populations in BC.

The plan identifies conservation as important, but focuses almost exclusively on population control with little regard for conservation of wolves.  Further, the recommended strategies inappropriately conflate and confuse management of wolves with conservation of wolves.

The plan promotes contradictory strategies that include protection of wolf populations, hunting and trapping of wolf populations, control of wolf populations, protection of livestock on public lands, and culling of wolves to protect caribou…

A version of this article was firs published in the Seaside Magazine January 2013 Issue.

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