By Gary Sliworsky
Ag rep, Emo
Back in May, the Ontario government released two strategies aimed at preventing and reducing human-wildlife conflict.
The strategies reflect the input of a number of provincial ministries and more than 30 stakeholders.
The stakeholders included a diverse group of agricultural organizations, hunting and trapping organizations, animal welfare organizations, environmentalists, and conservationists.
Areas that stakeholders have identified for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Natural Resources to address include:
•greater co-operation between OMAFRA and MNR on agriculture-wildlife conflicts;
•promote awareness and information resources available to producers to manage agriculture-wildlife conflicts; and
•improve government tools and resources available for producers to manage agriculture-wildlife conflicts, including updating wildlife damage compensation programs.
The Ontario government is proposing an agriculture-wildlife conflict strategy to complement the province’s Strategy for Preventing and Managing Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Ontario (2008).
Components of agriculture-wildlife conflict strategy would include:
•the promotion of producer awareness through developing and enhancing information resources available to producers;
•improving programs/tools for producers; and
•greater co-operation between OMAFRA and MNR to provide a co-ordinated response to the issue.
There also are proposed changes to the list of eligible predators, livestock species available for coverage, and the amount of compensation.
For more information on the details of the strategy, and instructions on submitting comments, visit www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/discussionpaper20aug2010.htm
