As an avid naturalist and…

As an avid naturalist and citizen of Ontario, I am very concerned about MNRF’s proposal to expand the live capture of raptors for falconry. I do not think that the proposal’s claim that Ontario’s raptor populations “are abundant and stable” is backed by scientific evidence, and feel that more data is needed to establish whether or not our raptor populations can sustain such an increase to the harvest. It would be wise to wait for the completion of the next Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas to make such a decision. I am also very concerned about the proposal to allow for the live capture of Northern Goshawks. Why does the MNRF think that the capture of wild raptors for falconry needs to be increased? Why can’t captive bred birds be used instead? I am opposed to this proposal.