Ontario spring bear hunt expansion divides outfitters, animal welfare groups

Up North7:10Animal rights groups hope to make bear hunt's return an election issue in 2018

Host Jason Turnbull speaks with Julie Woodyer of Zoocheck, one of the lobby groups that got the spring bear hunt banned back in 1999 and is now upset to see it has been brought back.

Tourist outfitters may be rejoicing, but Canadian animal welfare groups are voicing disappointment in the province's decision to expand the spring bear hunt.

JulieWoodyer, the campaign director ofZoocheck, says her group and others lobbied the Ontario government not to go forward with the hunt.

But she says pressure from hunting groups helped sway the government to go ahead with it.

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She said she believes that north-south politics played a role.

"In this particular case, we have a minister from the northern communities, which are predominantly the hunting communities," Woodyer said.

"A very small percentage of Canadians actually hunt anymore. But the people that do tend to live in the northern areas."

Woodyer said statistics show that increasing bear hunting in the spring does nothing to protect people who live in bear country.

She saidthose protections should come from managing garbage better and removing food attractants.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry announced a five-year expansion to the province's spring bear hunt pilot project on Friday.

Woodyer said despite the government's move, animal welfare groups will continue to pushfor the curtailing of a spring bear hunt.

"We will always fight this," she said. "But the the truth is under the Wynne government, I doubt the bears will have any reprieve at all."

Superior Morning6:52Gerry Cariou - Spring Bear Hunt Returns

Ontario has expanded the spring bear hunt pilot project to all 88 areas that allow a full hunt and has reopened the hunt to non resident hunters.

Reaction was quite different from a tourism official in the northwest.

'It's a decision many outfitters have been waiting on," said Gerry Cariou, the executive director of the Sunset Country Travel Association.

For two years, a spring bear hunt pilot project allowed hunting in a handful of areas for resident hunters. But, as of this spring, the hunt will include all 88 bear hunting areas and non-residents can hunt.

"Prior to its cancellation, 95 to 98 per cent of the previous hunt was servicing non-resident bear hunters," Cariou said.

"Canadians, in general, don't hunt bears to the level that non-residents do."

Cariou told CBC News it may be challenging for outfitters to be ready in time to welcome hunters for this May.

Hunting bear cubs and females with cubs will still be illegal, with fines of up to $25,000 and up to one year of imprisonment.

In most cases, alicensed hunter will be allowed to hunt one bear in each calendar year.

The province also said the baiting of bears during all bear hunting seasons will be regulated to help address public safety concerns, including:

• Bait must not be placed within 500 metres of a residence unless written permission is obtained from the residence's owner
• Bait must not be placed within 500 metres of a public building
• Bait must not be placed within 200 metres of a right of way for public vehicle traffic or a marked public recreational trail.

Officials estimate Ontario has up to 105,000 black bears, which they says ishealthy and sustainable population.

Currently across Canada, each province and territory with black bears has a spring and fall bear hunt except Nova Scotia, which only has a fall hunt.

Up North9:34Spring bear hunt officially returning...for at least 5 years

MNR minister Bill Mauro explains decision to bring back spring bear hunt just like it was before being cancelled in 1999, but only for a 5-year pilot project. This follows a limited bear hunt that was tried the last 2 springs.