Grizzly Hunt

Letter to the Ministers

Nature Alberta has joined forces with 9 nature organizations across the province to urge the minister to immediately reverse the Wildlife (Grizzly Bear - Ministerial) Amendment Regulation that permits hunting of Ursus arctos (Brown (Grizzly) Bear), a Threatened species.

The amendment — stating, “Despite its status as a threatened animal, the hunting of Ursus arctos (Brown (Grizzly) Bear) is permitted under section 53.1” — does 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. Read our letter to the Ministers here.

Nature Alberta's Position

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 input or support from wildlife biologists, relevant scientific data, public consultation, 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. 

You Can Help

We encourage Albertans to communicate their concern to:

• Honourable Minister Todd Loewen - Minister of Forest and Parks at fp.minister@gov.ab.ca
• your representative MLA; find your MLA's contact info here

Feel free to copy and paste the text below into an email, or you can modify it to include your personal feelings or experiences.

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Dear Minister Loewen,

I am writing to urge the Minister to immediately reverse the Wildlife (Grizzly Bear - Ministerial) Amendment Regulation that permits hunting of Ursus arctos, brown (grizzly) bear, a Threatened species. This amendment, conducted by Ministerial order, was done without input or support from wildlife biologists, relevant scientific data, public consultation, or proper legislative review.

This decision does not align with the protocols set out in the 2020 Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, nor 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.” It does not include hunting as a viable method of population management. Decisions related to grizzly bear population management should adhere to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan and contribute to a sustainable breeding population.

In situations where human-bear conflicts arise, mitigation should be conducted by trained, qualified wildlife officials using established protocols, prioritizing non-lethal resolutions whenever possible. I am deeply concerned by the notion of human-wildlife conflict situations involving a Threatened species being managed by private hunters.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME