Public comment closes October 25 on Ottawa’s woodland caribou strategy

AWARE Simcoe October 2 2011

The federal government has posted its draft strategy for the recovery of the boreal woodland caribou, under threat of extinction across the north.

David Suzuki’s evaluation of the draft strategy finds serious shortcomings.

 “Many herds, deemed not to be self-sustaining, appear to have been written off to remove barriers to further industrial activities in their habitat, such as tar sands development in Alberta. Instead of protecting and restoring the remaining habitat of these herds, the government is proposing controversial band-aid measures like killing thousands of wolves and other predators. This kind of management is aimed at stabilizing declining caribou populations rather than recovering them—a contravention of Canada’s Species at Risk Act.”

The Wildlands League is worried that the strategy could see increased risks to eight out of nine populations in Ontario

Read Suzkuki’s report 

Read the Wildlands League statement

Go to this link for the draft strategy and comment form