QUEEN’S PARK — Green Party of Ontario Leader and MPP for Guelph, Mike Schreiner, released the following statement after the government proposed changes to wolf and coyote hunting regulations:
“Is this part two of the PC government’s war on wildlife?
It began with the gutting of the Endangered Species Act to serve the interests of a few deep-pocketed developers, and now it appears that wolves are in the Premier’s crosshairs.
We should think very carefully before declaring open season on apex predators, such as wolves, which are essential to maintaining the health of our ecosystems.
When humans try to boost the population of one species by hunting out another species, it rarely works. But more importantly there are a range of unintended negative consequences.
The previous Liberal government proposed the same thing despite their own research indicating it would not have an impact on moose numbers.
Now the Conservatives have revived the idea, pinning the blame for moose decline on wolves.
This view is overly simplistic and ignores the impacts of climate change and habitat loss, as well as the spread of diseases and ticks.
We need evidence-based wildlife management rather than near-sighted decisions that serve the interests of a single stakeholder group.”