Recent demands for the Alberta government to resume grizzly bear hunting after two decades lack scientific justification, according to several conservation groups. The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) recently passed a policy resolution urging the provincial government to introduce a regulated grizzly bear hunt managed through a draw system. However, conservation groups emphasize the importance of a science-based approach in grizzly bear management due to the absence of recent population research.
The Alberta Wildlife Federation expressed conditional support for a “limited harvest” of grizzly bears if it aligns with a comprehensive management plan based on sound scientific principles. The RMA’s advocacy for a regulated hunt is a response to increased human-bear interactions in southwestern Alberta, particularly following an incident where a fisherman was injured by a grizzly near Cardston. The resolution was supported by the majority of RMA’s membership comprising over 60 rural Alberta counties and municipal districts.
Conservation specialist Ruiping Luo from the Alberta Wilderness Association highlighted the lack of transparency and updated population data necessary to justify a grizzly bear hunt. Without recent population studies, the increase in bear encounters could be attributed to habitat loss or increased human activity in bear territories rather than a surge in grizzly numbers. The Alberta government designated grizzly bears as a threatened species in 2010 due to a believed population of fewer than 1,000 mature adults in the province.
Despite calls for a grizzly bear hunt, the government’s focus remains on public safety, conflict reduction, and sustainable grizzly bear populations guided by science and expert advice. The Alberta government had the opportunity to conduct a recent grizzly bear population study but opted against it due to financial constraints. Biologist Gordon Stenhouse emphasized the necessity of ongoing research to inform effective grizzly bear management strategies.
