After years of overhunting led to a rapidly declining wildlife population, one small Canadian community has taken drastic measures to ensure healthy biodiversity and a sufficient food supply.
As reported by CBC, members of Bloodvein First Nation in Manitoba have decided to ban non-Indigenous hunters on their land. The decision comes after years of alleged "moose overhunting and meat wastage" across Bloodvein territory.
Chief Lisa Young noted the measures that the community was willing to take to see a healthy recovery of the local moose population.
"We'd like to stop people from driving into our First Nation and taking over this area and hunting off of our river," Chief Young said.
She indicated that all non-Indigenous hunters will be turned away at their community checkpoint. This move will help the community improve its sustainability and aid in the stability of its food supply.
"We sustain ourselves with our hunting and our fishing in our area and we've had some unsuccessful hunts over the years because of the overhunting in our area," added Chief Young.
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For many in the community, the sharp rise of non-Indigenous hunters in the area has created too much competition within the Bloodvein First Nation. In fact, many community members have said that they resorted to traveling away from their traditional hunting lands to effectively hunt.
Bloodvein First Nation member Frank Young explained that the hunting ban will do wonders for everyone in the entire community who is simply trying to survive the way that they were taught.
"It's good now that it's going to be closed," Young revealed. "It's going to be better for the people around here that live off the land."
Despite the sense of relief for the Bloodvein First Nation, many non-Indigenous hunters feel that the ban appears to be overkill. Chris Heald, a senior policy adviser at the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, noted that the move could have been avoided if Manitoba officials had released data explaining that the moose population was on the decline.
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Absolutely 💯 "We're upset to see this and we don't feel it had to come to this," Heald said.
According to Heald, licensed non-Indigenous hunters being prohibited from participating in legal hunts is simply not fair.
"Those hunters have all legally purchased their licence and they should be legally allowed to go," added Heald. "Whether it be fish, moose, deer, forestry … we all share the responsibility to protect them, but we also should share in the harvest of them."
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