Ontario Government Develops “Nuisance” Wildlife Strategy

Even though eco-tourism is the fastest growing outdoor activity in Ontario, the McGuinty government states the general public is becoming increasingly intolerant of growing wildlife populations, and is promoting lethal controls on wildlife deemed to be “nuisance” either through direct extermination programs or increased hunting opportunities.

The McGuinty government has released a new strategy to deal with so-called “nusiance” wildlife. Despite platitudes about the importance of wildlife to the ecosystem, the government strategy paper “Living With Wildlife”, negatively portrays many wild species as “nuisance animals”. Any species that poses a human health and safety risk, causes economic and productivity loss and negatively impacts societal and cultural values could easily be labelled “nuisance”.

By this description most animals would be considered “nuisance” at some time.

The government also introduces the term “cultural carrying capacity”, which is largely used to describe the level of tolerance of the few people who come into conflict with those “nuisance” animals. While some people, such as orchard and vegetable farmers, may have legitimate concerns regarding wildlife eating their crops, statistics and surveys clearly demonstrate that farmers have a high tolerance level for wildlife on their land. (Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association 1.800.265.9751)

Regardless of the facts, the McGuinty government is proposing an extermination strategy that brings down the population of so-called “nuisance” wildlife to a level where they are no longer visible on the landscape. For example, a farmer from the Kemptville area south of Ottawa was permitted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to shoot 72 deer throughout the autumn of 2003 in defence of his property. While the Ministry would not confirm the total number of deer in the vicinity it is most likely the farmer exterminated the local resident deer herd.

This is also true of coyotes. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources encourages the extermination of local coyote packs by farmers and trappers by placing a “bounty” of $35 for each coyote killed in defence of property.

A similar “nuisance” wildlife program exists in the United States. According to an Associated Press published report in September 2005, the U.S. government killed more than 2.7 million so-called "nuisance" animals last year - more than five animals per minute in 2004.

Among the animals killed were: 75,674 coyotes, 31,286 beavers, 3,907 foxes, 397 black bears, 359 cougars, 191 wolves, 143 feral or free-ranging chickens, 72 wild turkeys, 3,263 double-crested cormorants 10,735 Canada geese, and 2.3 million starlings.

According to the AP report a significant portion of the U.S. federal wildlife management budget is devoted to extermination. Animals that inconvenience humans become expendable 'varmints' that are then dispatched with stunning efficiency.

In Ontario, the 2005/06 Fish and Wildlife Program budget is approximately 70 million dollars. Approximately 40% is devoted to hunting programs and 60% to fisheries programs. This includes approximately $400,000 a year to exterminate cormorants on Lake Huron and at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.

Only 2.5 million dollars is dedicated to the Species At Risk program.

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