New Jersey’s Fish and Game Council voted to allow the state’s first black bear hunt in five years.

The Sierra Club believes the bears are attracted to human garbage.  Gee, you think?

In 2007, the state Department of Environmental Protection implemented sweeps of counties with the most black bear complaints, issuing warnings or fines to people suspected of feeding bears, which officials believe explained the rise in complaints.

And, I suppose, the Fish and Game Council believes there are just too many bears running around.  Bear numbers around the state are rising, based on complaints.  It couldn’t be that every square inch of New Jersey is either developed human living area or farmland protected by farmers with “special permits to kill black bears that destroy crops and threaten livestock?”

Where are the bears supposed to go and hunt, reproduce, and live?

How typical : kill the problem.

Public hearings will eventually be held on the subject, then a final decision will be made by acting Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin.

via: charlotteobserver.com & nj.com

Humans are driving other species to extinction faster than new ones can evolve.

Conservation experts have already signalled that the world is in the grip of the “sixth great extinction” of species, driven by the destruction of natural habitats, hunting, the spread of alien predators and disease, and climate change.

It’s quite ironic to be the most intelligent species on Earth, yet not have enough brains to stop building on natural habitat, hunting for sport, introducing non-native species, and operating concentrated animal feeding operations.

Old news validated by new science.

via guardian.co.uk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Priscilla Feral

Phone: (203) 656-1522

Even though wolves were only taken off the Endangered Species List in Idaho in May, 2009, Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is not only endorsing the proposed trophy hunt this fall, he’s vowed to participate in it. He told a group of hunters, “I’m prepared to bid for the first ticket to shoot a wolf myself.” The wolf hunt is an apparent effort to boost elk populations for hunters to slaughter, and will begin on September 1, 2009. The permit to kill a wolf costs $11.50—with 220 wolves set to be killed statewide.

Equally dismaying is the fact that Gov. Otter claims to “respect” wolves—making the nonsensical claim, in an interview with The Idaho Statesman, “You can still hate them and respect their cunning and their place in nature.”

Friends of Animals’ president, Priscilla Feral says, “Gov. Otter’s enthusiasm for wolf killing not only demonstrates a complete lack of conscience and understanding of the word ‘respect,’ it shows a lack of respect for nature and the ecosystem; wolves don’t need Gov. Otter—or anyone else—to manage them.”

Friends of Animals is calling for a boycott of potatoes grown in Idaho—the largest producer in the United States. One-third of all potatoes are grown in Idaho. Feral adds: “As long as Idaho is in the business of killing wolves, the nature-respecting public should stop buying potatoes there.” Look for potatoes grown in Maine, Colorado, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and other states.

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Here we are again, trying to control populations best left controlled by nature – as nature intended.  I have said it once and I’ll say it again, when you mess with Mother Nature, you loose everytime.  No species killing culling or species introduction to a foreign area has worked in the past so why haven’t we learned?

The case went before US District Judge Donald Malloy yesterday for review, just one day before the hunt was to begin.  Attorneys for Earthjustice, the group representing the 13 groups challenging the hunt and the federal government received three hours in court to debate the case.

Advocates for the groups have stated that the hunting season would cripple the regional wolf population by isolating the wolves into disconnected subgroups.  As you know, wolves are pack animals.  The subgroups would be incapable of genetic or ecological sustainability.  And, since the wolf hunts would allow the killing of the breeding alpha males and females, the wolf pups would be left vulnerable without protection.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has posed a killing limit of 220 wolves this year.  The Nez Perce is permitted another 35.  That leaves the estimated harvest about 25 percent (twenty-five percent!) of the total estimated population of wolves.  Montana has set its kill limit at 75 wolves, about 15 percent of the estimated population.

The groups are also challenging the legality of delisting the wolves in Idaho, Montana, northern Utah, eastern Oregon and western Washington while keeping them on the Endangered Species list in Wyoming.  Which, doesn’t make sense to me either.

The hunt is set to begin today.  With no word from the US District Court Judge Malloy, it appears that, for now, the hunt is on.  While Malloy gave no indication of how he might rule on the case, he did side with the environmentalists in a similar case.  But, with over 9,000 hunters in Idaho alone that bought tags, the outcome doesn’t bode well for our wolf friends.  Keep your fingers crossed and we wait to see what happens.

via friendsofanimals.com