RE: ERO number 019-1112 I…

RE: ERO number 019-1112

I totally oppose hunting of Black Bears, this includes killing Bears in the spring.

I need to state my point of view before I can address the bear killing issue.

First, the Earth birthed life and remains its sole support. Life subsequently birthed humans. Thus the Earth is primary, life secondary and humans tertiary. I believe it self evident that all life is inherently valuable, and within appropriate qualifications, equal. Second, the catastrophes of climate breakdown combined with life’s collapse and biodiversity loss weigh heavily on both the Earth and my mind. We need to proceed with the utmost caution and do nothing that has even a small chance of further disrupting the natural world. In fact, much restoration is in order. The precautionary, weight of evidence, reverse onus, and do least harm principles ought to be foremost in our planning.

I totally oppose hunting of Black Bears, this includes killing Bears in the spring for the following reasons:

- This killing is just plain wrong;
- It does not appear that problem Bears are reduced by a spring killing;
- many cubs are orphaned, and left to die a miserable death;
- It is both unethical and immoral to kill a vulnerable and hungry Bear in the springtime, especially when there’s a good chance that cubs are involved. That it’s done over food baits in what amounts to a shooting gallery just makes it worse, if possible. Keep in mind, however, that, in any case, there is no right way to do a wrong thing;
- On the second page of the ERO document the nonsensical reason of providing certainty for the killers is raised. Certainty is fine: cancel the hunt.
- Despite the MNRF’s choice of words, this is a killing, not a ‘harvest’, as harvests can only occur after a sewing;
- Education has proven to be the best method of reducing Bear/human conflicts;
- Many of the Bear/human conflicts are human caused; the problems with garbage and human encroachment into the Bear’s territory come to mind;
- It is reported that in less than 50 years 12 people in Ontario were killed by dogs, while in the last hundred only four people were killed by bears (So, where’s your open season on dogs?);
- it would appear that politics and revenue not Bear science is the driver behind the push for a spring Bear kill;
- Those who love to kill things are also drivers;
- It is unethical and immoral to kill any other large game animal in the spring. The same logic applies to Bears;
- If the killing reduces populations in the Bruce, so it must also elsewhere;
- It is stated that the anticipated environmental consequences of the proposal are expected to be neutral. This is not possible as additional animals will be removed from the population;
- Black bear populations throughout Ontario may be affected by the predicted effects of climate change due to rising air temperatures and decreased precipitation. This could contribute to increasingly frequent droughts and less food for bears leading to increasing human-bear conflict and, potentially, reproductive failure in bears. Therefore humans will have to leave areas in which they’ve encroached on Bear habitat.

I totally oppose hunting of Black Bears, this includes killing Bears in the spring.