Three running wolves as seen from the air.
Photo by Paul C. Paquet.

The BC government is seeking its second five-year approval to continue killing wolves

Help us tell the government to stop scapegoating wolves and start protecting caribou habitat.

By Chelsea Greer 6 min. read

It’s that time again: the Government of British Columbia is seeking yet another five-year approval to continue killing gray wolves in the name of caribou recovery. Over the past 12 winters, more than 2,800 wolves have been shot from helicopters as part of the province’s predator reduction program.

While caribou populations remain at risk, scientists and conservation organizations continue to raise concerns that ongoing habitat destruction is driving their decline. Yet, in the more than 50 years Raincoast Senior Scientist Dr. Paul Paquet has been involved in wolf and caribou conservation, governments have habitually favoured the killing of wolves over addressing these underlying causes. Lasting caribou recovery requires meaningful protection and restoration of the habitats caribou need to survive. Instead, the government continues to perpetuate a cycle of wolf killing that targets a symptom while the root causes of decline persist.

More information on wolf and caribou management

Raincoast was invited by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to provide technical feedback on the proposed five-year extension.

Although stakeholder feedback was requested by June 15, the decision-making process is far from over. Before the province can continue its wolf killing program, it must obtain approval under the Wildlife Act for a new permit. That process will continue into the fall, and public concern remains important. We encourage you to write to decision-makers and make your voice heard.

As there will be no formal public consultation on this proposal, we are sharing the feedback and questions we submitted to the province and encouraging members of the public to write to decision-makers. This is an opportunity to express concerns about the continued aerial killing of wolves and the ongoing lack of meaningful habitat protection for caribou.

Our technical feedback

Public feedback matters more than many people realize. When individuals write to decision-makers, they signal that an issue has broad public concern, not just scientific or organizational opposition. This collective voice can help shift political will and, ultimately, policy.

We have seen this firsthand in British Columbia, where public opinion played a significant role in ending the grizzly bear trophy hunt. This is an equally important opportunity for the public to speak up on a deeply consequential wildlife issue.

There is a growing disconnect between ministries tasked with species-at-risk recovery and those responsible for advancing industrial development in the province. 

While one ministry kills wolves, several others continue to authorize the habitat loss that is driving the decline of caribou. With that in mind, in addition to the Provincial Caribou Recovery Program (caribourecovery [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca), we encourage you to write to: 

Suggested feedback

If you are looking for ways to help express your concerns to the government, we have outlined some key points below. Personalizing your message and speaking in your own voice is often the most effective approach.

Dear Minister [Minister name goes here],

I am writing to oppose the proposed five-year extension of British Columbia’s predator reduction program. While I recognize the urgent need to recover at-risk caribou populations, I am concerned that the province continues to rely on the repeated aerial killing of wolves in critical caribou habitat that remains heavily disturbed and continues to be logged. This raises questions about what “recovery” really means. I urge you to end this cycle of wolf killing and focus instead on addressing the root causes of caribou decline through meaningful habitat protection and restoration.

You may wish to raise some of the following concerns:

  • Caribou habitat continues to be logged and fragmented, including in areas where wolves are being killed in the name of recovery. Recovery efforts should focus on protecting and restoring habitat rather than relying on the extraordinary persecution of wolves to compensate for ongoing habitat loss.  
  • Wolf population viability is not simply a question of provincial abundance but also of genetic diversity, connectivity, pack structure, and long-term persistence. Repeated, intensive wolf removals can disrupt pack dynamics, social behaviour, and ecosystem function, raising questions about the long-term consequences of this approach.
  • Describing aerial shooting as “humane” raises serious animal welfare concerns. This method involves pursuing and shooting wolves from helicopters under field conditions where rapid, low-stress death cannot be consistently ensured. In this context, adherence to a standard operating procedure does not, in itself, resolve the fundamental animal welfare concerns associated with aerial wolf removal. 
  • Independent oversight is needed to ensure the wolf killing program is evaluated against recognized animal welfare standards and that its ecological impacts and effectiveness are reviewed by experts independent to the ministry responsible for implementing it. Established protocols and stated intent do not, on their own, ensure humane outcomes. Transparency, monitoring, and public accountability are essential.

Caribou recovery should focus on addressing the root causes of decline, not perpetuating an indefinite cycle of wolf killing. I urge the government to prioritize habitat protection and restoration over continued funding of a short gap measure that does not address the underlying drivers of decline.

Sincerely,

[Your name goes here]

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