Star, June 29/08--Animals are not born to be exploited!

Open letter to the Environment Minister Dennis Fentie.

The Yukon Wildlife Act Review public consultation took place on Dec 11/07.

The Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board had made confidential recommendations to your department on the hunting of wild animals. Why all this secrecy around a public consultation? When will a formal media release be coming from your department to explain the changes to the Wildlife Act?

The only news I read about this was an unofficial report in the Star, April 4/08, which indicated there will be an increase in the allowable number of wolves, bison and now elk that may be killed. Farmers will have the right to chase away wildlife from their fields. Let's think about why wildlife are attracted there in the first place.

We (the public) have a right to know exactly what the final decisions are on changes to the Wildlife Act, as well as the rationale behind these decisons to harass and destroy the lives of (even more) animals.

Animals are not resources to be exploited--they are individuals that deserve the "right" to have "their" own lives to themselves.

To themselves.

Mike Grieco

Whitehorse