Grizzly Hunt

Nature Alberta opposes the changes to the Wildlife Regulation Act and the introduction of a Grizzly Bear hunt. The ban on hunting Grizzly Bears in Alberta has recently been lifted by Ministerial order from the Honourable Todd Loewen, Minister of Forest and Parks, without support from wildlife biologists, relevant scientific data, or proper legislative review. 

The Wildlife (Grizzly Bear - Ministerial) Amendment Regulation states:

“Despite its status as a threatened animal, the hunting of Ursus arctos (Brown (Grizzly) Bear) is permitted under section 53.1.”

This decision is meant to address supposed ‘problem bears,’ allowing private citizens to hunt said animals instead of qualified wildlife officials using established mitigation protocols.  

The changes to this Act do not align with the Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan that was implemented in 2020, nor does it align with the conservation efforts of a listed Threatened species. The recovery plan priority is to “resolve human-caused mortality, and ensure a supply of high-quality secure habitat through appropriate land management.”

While human-bear conflicts do exist, wildlife management measures should prioritize non-lethal conflict resolutions to mitigate conflicts, based on sound science, with proper expert consultations.  

Nature Alberta requests that the Minister reconsider and reverse his position. We will be sharing more information on our position in the coming days. 

We encourage concerned Albertans to communicate their opposition to the Honourable Minister Todd Loewen - Minister of Forest and Parks, Premier Danielle Smith and your representative MLA. We also encourage you to cc the Opposition Critic for Environment, Parks and Tourism; Dr. Sarah Elemeligi with your concerns.