I am commenting on the…

I am commenting on the proposal to allow a spring bear hunt. Bear cubs will continue to be orphaned if the hunt becomes permanent. It is against the law to kill cubs and mother bears accompanied by cubs; however, mother bears often leave their cubs in trees when searching for food. If a mother is killed, her cubs will likely die slowly of starvation or be eaten by predators.
Hunting bears does not improve human safety. Stopping human-bear conflict is achieved by removing access to garbage, barbecues and other items that attract them.
Bears reproduce slowly, so adult females must not be killed if the species is to survive.
The government has disclosed a need to reduce black-bear hunting in Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula, owing to population concerns, but nevertheless it proposes to allow the hunting and trapping of these bears in that region for one week each spring. This is irresponsible.
Even the economic argument for allowing the hunt is weak. The government has said the economic impact would be neutral or positive, but has provided no evidence to support this claim.
This is the 21st century and Ontario's tourism industry should not depend on the killing of animals for sport. Surely other ways can be found to draw tourists to this beautiful province and provide for their entertainment in non-lethal ways.