Grizzlies Face 'Extinction,' in Alberta

Grizzlies face 'extinction,' in Alberta Publication: Calgary Herald Date: 02-25-2003 By: Robin Summerfield, with files from Kelly Cryderman

Alberta's grizzly bears are on a path to extinction, say two local environmental groups fighting to have the species listed as "threatened" under the province's Wildlife Act.

"Unless measures are taken to protect this species and work is done to recover this species, then yes, (grizzly bears) are very much at risk for extinction in this province," said Tracey Henderson, program director for the Bow Valley Grizzly Bear Alliance.

The Alliance and WildCanada.Net, another conservation group, want Premier Ralph Klein to designate the grizzly bear population as "threatened" under the Alberta Wildlife Act. They have set April 1, the day the bears theoretically begin to emerge from their winter hibernation, as a symbolic deadline for the designation.

"The grizzly bear is the top order of carnivore in the ecosystem. Everything, every animal below is affected by the health of this species. . . . We really think the whole ecosystem will go into a tailspin if we lose the grizzly bear," said Stephen Legault, executive director of WildCanada.Net, the second group calling for the designation.

The groups estimate there are fewer than 1,000 grizzly bears in Alberta, down from a historical population of between 9,000 and 16,000.

Under the act, species designated as "threatened" are "likely to become endangered if the factors causing its vulnerability are not reversed." A species is considered "endangered" when its "present existence in Alberta is in danger of extinction within the next decade."

Local grizzly bear researcher and advocate Brian Horejsi said neither the groups nor the provincial government are going far enough to protect the species.

"The grizzly bear ought to be listed as endangered. That's one step before extinction," said Horejsi. "I don't think they fully appreciate the gravity of the situation."

While he doesn't have the statistics, Horejsi, a large mammal behavioural biologist, said Alberta's grizzly bear population could be closer to 500 than 1,000.

"If we don't do something, I have no doubt in my mind that, ultimately, grizzly bears will become zoo animals," said Horejsi, who heads the Speak up for Wildlife Foundation and is developing a recovery plan for Waterton-area grizzly bears, among other research and conservation projects.

The group is not asking that development to come to a halt in grizzly bear areas such as the Bow Valley corridor, but would like to see logging and oil and gas roads closed to unofficial vehicles. They also want a legally enforceable grizzly bear recovery plan in place and more recovery officers working in the field.

"It's incremental steps that will hopefully stem the tide of extinction that is flowing across the province right now," said Legault, whose conservation group has 17,000 members.

Klein said Monday the number of hunting licences for grizzlies is down to 101 from 130 last year.

"This would mean about 15 bears would be shot," he said. "(Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mike Cardinal)'s biologists tell us there is still a harvestable surplus of grizzly bears and this reflects the finding of the Endangered Species Committee, which found that regulated bear hunts didn't have an impact on the population."

The premier said he will ask the minister to "investigate the matter further."

But Legault said hunting isn't the big issue. "Number one is poaching, number two is development . . . number three is roads."

According to ministry statistics, there were 31 man-caused grizzly bear deaths in Alberta in 2002. In 1987, 2000 and 2001, there were 67, 32 and 26 man-caused deaths, respectively.