Bison Kill Condemned

Page 18

Natives are condemning a Federal Report released August 29 that calls for the slaughter of 4,200 bison at Wood Buffalo National Park.

George Kurzewski a spokesman for several Native Bands near the park, which straddles the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories, says the killing of the bison is an unwarranted measure.

Kurzewski, a buffalo hunter from Fort Smith, British Columbia, says the panel based their recommendations on information that is thirty five years old.

"They're guessing because no new studies have been done to determine how extensive the disease is," says Kurszewski. "What's the rush, the problem may not be as severe as the panel suggests."

The herd, located in the 44,800 kilometer park is infected with tuberculosis and brucellosis. William Fuller, a wildlife biologist and member of the Federal Environmental Panel, says the risk is unacceptable.

"The infected plains and wood buffalo will spread the disease to cattle, other buffal9, and even humans", says Fuller.

He says the only way to deal with the disease is to eliminate the problem

The panel recommended that the herd be lured into corrals and shot. Those that are missed by the process will be hunted down by helicopter or snowmobile until there is none left. This process would take four years to complete.

Neils Damgaard, of the Alberta Fish and Game Association, a non-profit group that promotes the conservation of fish and wildlife, says the panel did not have the studies needed to make a decision on the fate of the bison.

"From a scientific basis, I have no qualms about killing them if they studies are there, but they're not.

The federal panel says the infection rate is thirty to fifty percent. But Damgaard says that data is ancient. He says there may actually be a drop in the infection rate.

"The association's own studies indicate an infection rate of under six percent."

University of Alberta wildlife disease specialist says Damgaard's argument is irrelevant.

"The prevalence of the disease doesn't mean much. It's like saying someone is just a wee bit pregnant," says William Samuel. Samuel admits the studies are old but he say nonetheless the report is scientifically hones.

"The report is balanced because the panel went overboard to please everyone. It particularly focused on the preservation of the Wood Buffalo."

The panel recommended a repopulation strategy to ensure the rarer Wood Buffalo gene is saved. The panel suggested that about 200 animals from the wild that most resemble the Wood Buffalo be bred separately. Once proven to be disease free, they would be reintroduced into the park. Another 240 disease free buffalo would be taken from Elk Island National Park, bred released. Fuller says this recommendation will ensure the genetic diversity of the animal.

"We won't just kill off the wild her. We're committed to repopulation. If all goes well, 1,300 buffalo will be ready for release in about eight years"

In order to prove how strong the panel's committed to repopulation is, Fuller says they recommended that breeding pens be set up before the hunt starts.

But regardless of the panel's submission to replenish the hers, Harvey Denechoan, chief of Dene-Tha band north of Highlevel, says natives in the area are opposed to the slaughter because there are other alternatives.

"The best recommendation the panel could follow is to separate the diseased bison and save the ones that are disease free."

Samuel says that the complicated skin test required to detect the presence of tuberculosis and brucellosis does not work well in the bison. Besides which, he says, no vaccine exists for the disease.

The panel gave the most efficient solution to a longtime problem. They have all the evidence and now they must act on t," says Samuel. "It's a no win situation for everyone but killing them is the best option."

Samuel says that the complicated skin test required to detect the presence of tuberculosis and brucellosis does not wok well in the bison. Besides which, he says, no vaccine exists for the disease.

The panel gave the most efficient solution to a long time problem. They have all the evidence and now they must act on it," says Samuel. "It's a no win situation for everyone, but killing them is the best option.

But how can the panel decide what the best solution is, says Denechoan, if they were not dealing with the most current data.

"They were asked to give the latest figures at the hearings and they couldn't. Still, they went ahead with the proposal to kill them."

Berna Unka, chief of the Deninoo band in Fort Resolution, says the elders maintain the federal panel failed to explore more reasonable measures to eliminate the disease.

"The elders aren't pleased with this. They say it's impossible to find all the bison in that track of land. There's a big chance they will overlook a diseased one."

Unka, who was at the hearing, says the plan is vehemently opposed y natives in the area.

"We depend on the bison for food. It's our livelihood. They took the easy way out."

The plan would eliminate the hybrid bison which is a source of food for the natives. The wood bison are protected and cannot be shot for food.

Unka and Denechoan both say they certainly did not expect a duplicate of the agriculture Canada proposal, which originally suggested the eradication of the bison.

Cattle owners are afraid that their livestock may become infected which would cause Canada to lose its disease-free status not the mention billions of dollars in beef exports.

An Edmonton environmental consultant says that is the nub of the whole debate.

"The cattlemen want to grow cows all over," says Tooker Gombrg. "You can't modify every eco-system just so you can raise cows."

Gomberg wants the government to leave the eco-system intact.

"Once again it's a disgusting example of humans interfering with nature. Cows don't belong in that park. And if the bisons are diseased, nature will eradicate them."

But thepanel along with Samuel insist that the disease will not die out naturally.

"That's ridiculous. If nature was going to take care of the disease it would have done it a long time ago," says Samuel. "We screwed up from the start, so how can you expect nature to take care of it?'

The contamination was introduced in the 1920s when 6,000 plains buffalo were transplanted from central Alberta to the park because of a shortage of grazing land. The plains buffalo, infected with tuberculosis and brucellosis, then bred with the wood buffalo producing a hybrid off-spring that are infected to this day.

No exact date was given for the hunt, but the panel recommended it be undertaken in the winter when the bison are easy to spot. The report, however must still be approved by Federal Government minister Robert de Cotret and agricultural minister Don Mazankowski.

Unka says the ministers should not respond before native leaders have had a chance to study the report together. She says the leaders plan to meet in Fort Resolution on October 4.