Wildlife experts are criticizing Alberta’s government for reversing an 18-year ban on hunting at-risk grizzly bear populations. Now, hunters in the province can obtain special licenses to hunt “problematic” grizzlies.
This follows an increased number of bear attacks on humans and livestock, according to the government.
“The loss of even one human life because of a grizzly bear attack is one too many,” said Todd Loewen, the minister of forestry and parks, in the news release. “We are taking a proactive approach to help Albertans coexist with wildlife through our new wildlife management program.”
Under the program, up to 15 grizzlies deemed dangerous by wildlife officials can be hunted every year in the province.
Wild Profile: Meet the grizzly bear
But the move came as a surprise to most, and experts are concerned about using hunting as a wildlife management tool for threatened species.
“This is bringing back hunting in a roundabout way,” says Devon Earl, a conservationist specialist at the Alberta Wilderness Association. “We need to recognize that hunting a threatened species isn’t an appropriate management approach.”
Earl says that there was a lack of transparency involved in the decision-making process. The province did not hold any public consultations and “quietly” announced that it amended the Wildlife Act in the Alberta Gazette on June 29. The official announcement was made over a week later.
Why is Alberta bringing back grizzly hunting?
The province says that this year it’s seen an uptick in reports of problematic grizzly-human and grizzly-animal interactions. In 2020, there were three attacks, while nine grizzly and black bear attacks were recorded the following year.
“This is not a bear hunt,” said the news release. “This is a measure to ensure the safety of humans and livestock.”
Grizzly hunting was originally banned in the early 2000s when human-caused mortality and habitat fragmentation led populations to drop to an estimated fewer than 700 bears. In 2010, grizzlies were listed as threatened with extinction in Alberta.
Today, Alberta’s Ministry of Forestry and Parks estimates that there are at least 1,150 bears in Alberta. The government did not release any supporting study to accompany those statistics—the most recent province-wide census in 2021 estimates that populations fall between 856 and 973 bears.
Typically, wildlife that pose a risk to humans or livestock are managed by qualified officials with the province’s Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services. Hunters can now apply to enter a lottery to obtain a special permit once problem bears are identified.
“The government is saying that it’s not a bear hunt, but we can agree that there’s a pretty big difference between euthanization by a wildlife officer and a hunter,” says Earl. “This is an opportunity for people who are interested in hunting bears.”
“If killing of a grizzly bear is deemed a necessary management intervention for community safety, these actions should be carried out by a conservation officer who is trained in human-wildlife conflict management rather than downloading this responsibility to individual Albertans,” said a statement from the Northern and Southern Alberta chapters of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
Between 2009 and 2018, 25 problem bears were euthanized by wildlife officials, according to data from the province. The minister of forestry and parks, however, says that number is closer to 20 bears a year. As the province has not released any recent data on grizzly bear mortality rates, it’s unclear where this number is coming from.
Other grizzly management tools available
In 2008, Alberta enacted a grizzly bear recovery plan. Attractant management in municipalities, such as livestock, grain, and fruit trees, education, and habitat protection are all part of a multi-pronged approach to recover grizzly populations.
The Waterton Biosphere Region’s Carnivores and Communities program in southern Alberta is focused on promoting the coexistence of grizzlies and humans. With funding support from local groups, including the provincial government, the program helps landowners navigate conflicts with the species.
An existence where there is a place for both large carnivores and people is ideal, says Jeff Bectell, the program’s director. However, “control is still a part of things, and sometimes that means lethal control,” he says.
Implementing electric fences, building small pastures, and installing bear-proof doors on grain bins are ways to deter grizzlies from landowners’ properties. Bectell hopes that a combination of these tools and euthanization, as needed, will give humans and bears a better chance at coexistence.
Alberta grizzlies need better habitat protection to sustain population
“As far as the principle [of euthanizing problem bears] goes, we support it in conjunction with other projects that decrease conflict,” he says. “Whether this was the best way to employ the tool of lethal control, we’re leaving that up to the government.”
Other experts are calling for a stronger implementation of the recovery plan.
Many of the conflict-mitigation measures outlined in the plan have not been put into place, says Earl. The plan recommended hiring regional wildlife conflict specialists who would work with communities and Fish and Wildlife Enforcement staff to determine long-term, local solutions.
At the time of the plan’s publication, there was one human-wildlife conflict specialist. That individual has since retired, without a replacement, and no further specialists have been hired, according to Earl.
“Euthanizing a bear might help in the very short term,” says Earl. “But if there is some sort of attractant on agricultural lands that is attracting that bear, another bear will likely come back.”
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