'Yukon's rigourmortification'

Re: 'Wolf bag-limit more than doubles' (Yukon News - August 13th, 2008)

Requesting an amendment to the Wildlife Act seems akin to writing a letter to Santa Claus—it doesn’t hurt to ask, and you never know, if you are in good favour with the Man, you may get what you want. You don’t even have to justify your request. Just ask nicely, and if there are plenty of whatever-it-is-you’re-asking-for in the warehouse, your wish will be granted.

Take the example of the increased “bag limit” on wolves. This increase was proposed by both the Teslin and Alsek Renewable Resource Councils, and judging by the public consultation booklet on the proposed Wildlife Act revisions, neither RRC provided any scientific rationale for their request.

At the public consultation meeting last winter, spokespeople for the two RRCs said they wanted to increase the “bag limit” simply because the wolves exist, as if it’s a real shame to have animals there to shoot at, and not to be able to shoot them. They didn’t seem prepared to justify their proposals, and no wonder, given that the proposals were being assessed by a panel of hunters. As Graham van Tighem (the Fish & Wildlife Management Board’s Executive Director) put it at the public meeting, “We’re all hunters here.” In the Yukon , it seems the foxes have been asked to guard the hen-house.

Now the Alsek Renewable Resources Council has released a statement that Champagne-Aishihik's caribou and moose recovery progam would benefit from an expanded wolf hunt (Yukon News - August 13th, 2008 ). Have they not considered that the decline in caribou and moose is likely due to human activity (i.e. over-hunting) and not an over-abundant wolf population? How can we justify saving a moose from a wolf today, just so a hunter can kill the moose tomorrow? This is a self-serving and ultimately ecocidal approach to wildlife management.

Despite the flimsy argument in favour of expanding the wolf hunt, the “bag limit” has now been raised from 3 to 7 wolves.

If we followed modern standards in wildlife management, a scientific evidence base would be required before any such changes were made. I’m appalled at the lack of rigour that is applied to evaluating these “wish-list” types of proposals. Then again, maybe I should start believing in Santa Claus. Just think what I could ask for this coming winter.

Rachel Westfall
Whitehorse