I would like to express my…

I would like to express my support for the proposed changes.

1) Upwards of 75% of first year immature raptors will die of starvation during their first winter. It is from this population only that raptors would be accessed by falconers. Wild taken raptors are routinely released by falconers back to the wild after a year or two of successful hunting which will significantly increase their chances of survival.

2) Falconry was recently recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity tradition. The proposal will further support this designation and bring it in line with most other international jurisdictions including five other Canadian provinces that permit the limited use of wild raptors by qualified falconers.

3) Intimate knowledge gained through access to wild raptors by falconers can, and has, had important benefits. As an example- the most successful reintroduction of a species, the Peregrine Falcon, was led primarily by falconers.
4) Supporting evidence provided by Ontario falconers through annual nesting surveys, has led the MNRF to add the Goshawk to the list of those raptors that could be accessed (limit of 5 total for the province as outlined in this proposal).

The species to be accessed by falconers are stable and will have no impact on wild populations. These include the RedTailed Hawk, Coopers Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin and with this proposal the Goshawk.