Manitoba Wildlife Federation held town hall meetings this past fall to discuss concerns about wildlife management

In response to growing concerns over how Manitoba’s wildlife is being managed, the Manitoba Wildlife Federation held town hall meetings this past fall to discuss the issue, with more planned throughout the winter. The move follows the provincial government’s controversial decision to issue 75 per cent fewer moose licences in four northern Game Hunting Areas.

The MWF contends the cut in licences was made quickly, without proper consultation or scientific study, to appease local First Nations communities calling for an end to all licensed hunting in their territory.

“It is a scary time here in Manitoba right now,” says Rob Olson, the MWF’s senior scientific advisor, and host of the meetings. “Our main concern was that the change was not science-based. It was so hasty that they were circumventing the normal regulatory process of engaging all parties and looking at science.”

On top of the moose licence reduction, Olson says the federation is also worried licensed hunters will lose opportunities in the Seal River watershed, should Ottawa move forward with the creation of a new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) slated for the region.

“The federal government is proposing nine IPCAs in the province,” Olson says. “These would take the form of federal parks, where the province would cede management of the areas to the federal government, who would then pass management authority to the indigenous communities.”

According to Olson, the goal of the town halls is to provide a venue for all interested parties, including indigenous hunters, to come together to discuss issues and voice concerns. “At a broad level, we want to see shared management,” he says. “We want to see all interests at the table together, talking about how to share resources and wildlife. We want to see government setting up those kinds of conversations.”

So far, the MWF has held town hall meetings in Thompson, Snow Lake, The Pas, Beausejour, Russell, Swan River, Portage la Prairie, Brandon and Pilot Mound. Plans are now underway to host more meetings in southern Manitoba in the new year.

Learn more about the MWF’s programs at www.mwf.mb.ca.