To: Honourable Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, FLNR.minister@gov.bc.ca
May 20, 2021
Honourable Minister Conroy,
Pacific Wild Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation with a special interest in wolves. The current resolution brought forward by the Municipality of Oak Bay calling for a moratorium on the recreational hunting of wolves is one that we wholeheartedly support. We join a growing number of municipalities on Vancouver Island and NGOs in British Columbia also supporting this resolution.
The recent and needless killing of Takaya brought international shame to Victoria and the province of British Columbia. This was a wolf that was celebrated by people around the world who look to Canada as a progressive nation that protects its wildlife. Takaya was an ambassador for his species, a species that has been long-maligned, feared and misunderstood.
On behalf of our 250,000 plus followers and supporters, we strongly support this first step towards building a new relationship with wolves that parallels changing societal values that see more worth and economic value in a live wolf than a dead one. Government policy needs to shift to reflect this.
Currently, the hunting of wolves is largely unrestricted, and no mandatory inspection or reporting is required when a wolf is killed. This means there is no reliable data on the total number of wolves killed each year or the circumstances of their deaths. It is also our position that decision makers at the table determining wildlife management in British Columbia are dominated by hunters, guide outfitters, big agriculture and government biologists – conservation voices and independent biologists require a greater say to reflect public values. Wolves are an integral part of coastal and inland ecosystems and remain one of our greatest icons of our quickly disappearing wild lands and waters.
Please accept this letter as our strongest support for this resolution. We would be pleased to provide any clarification or other information that you may require.
Sincerely,
Karen McAllister
Acting Executive Director
