PACIFIC WILD TAKES BC GOVERNMENT TO COURT OVER WOLF CULL PROGRAM
Pacific Wild is taking the provincial government to court over its wolf cull program for caribou conservation.
B.C. Lawyer Rebeka Breder is representing Pacific Wild.
“We say that the provincial wolf cull is illegal basically for two reasons. One is that it violates the Wildlife Act. Under the Wildlife Act, helicopters are not allowed to be used for the purpose of hunting and that is exactly what is going on here.”
Secondly, Breder says the cull also violates legislation in that firearms are not allowed on airplanes.
Breder says the government isn't addressing the real problem of logging, mining, and off-road activities disturbing caribou habitat.
“Wolves are a very, very easy scapegoat. I mean, wolves and caribou are natural animals obviously, they have been living together forever and if the government really cared about genuine protection of the caribou population, it would be dealing with the root of the problem.”
Breder says the lawsuit comes on the heels of “a very reputable, scientific publication” showing the wolf cull program has not and will not help with caribou conservation.
Pacific Wild is waiting on a response from the provincial government and other potentially interested parties that want to speak to the matter.
Breder says they expect a defense to be filed in the next 30 days with a hearing date set after that.
She hopes the matter will be heard this coming fall.
OriginallyPublished July 26 2020
By: Baillie Vickers
