It is difficult to be a bear Florida These days, where only one year ago, a member of the Republican Congress accused the Aroen residents Shooting cocaine crack And discourage people’s homes.
Then came a controversial new law that allows anyone to do so Shot and kill any bear It is seen as a threat without fear of the consequences, which animal defenders say can be bad news of any unintentionally wandering creature in a background.
Now their wildlife officials Advanced three -week chase plans In December, this may see the slaughter of nearly 200 black bear, nearly 5 % of the estimated total in Florida.
It is a suggestion called opponents chasing the cup based on Bloodlust, not science, that would re -present the “barbaric” practices that have been banned from Bear Baiting, chasing animals and destroying them with dog packages, killing them with arches and arrows.
“It is an open season,” said Adam Sujalski, the founder of his founder. “It is just.” Let’s use everything we have against the bears. The defenders bearA member of an alliance for wildlife and environmental groups urges members of the Facility and Wildlife Conservation Committee in Florida (FWC), unlike the path before a final decision in August.
“They have already pulled all protection. You cannot face a problem killing the bear, as it seems, and now there is this unorganized fishing. I just feel these poor souls in the forest without any protection anymore, and then about to release the fishing on it.”
For Sugalski, other groups including the Sierra Club Branch in Florida, the Animal Defense Fund, and defenders WildlifeThere is more than the story than just emotion. They say FWC uses old and incomplete data for bear numbers to justify hunting and insisting that killings are necessary as a preservation measure.
Under the admission of the committee, the latest number of population of the Black Bear was conducted in Florida – which is estimated at about 4050 – more than 10 years ago, and FWC has never set the maximum numbers after that Noting the number of bears will be too much For available habitats and other resources.
“This is chasing a wealthy man. It is not the memorization based on science,” said James Scott, the former chapter of the Sierra Club in Florida and the campaign coordinator for the Dawa Group. Talk to Wekiva.
“If we come to where the population was clearly exceeding the absorptive capacity of any specific unit, with the negative effects that come with that, this will be justified, and it is an approach based on science in the field of hunting. But they were not anywhere near the justification of that.
“Instead, you have some of the characters who worked hard to framing fishing as a tool for preservation, and some people who have retreated themselves with commissioners. You also have a committee appointed by the ruler, most of them are land developers.
“Therefore, there are strong interests that have a financial interest in reducing the growth of the population.”
Scott note that FWC exists Bear management plan,, It was updated in 2019, it was not suggested re -submitting fishing, and stated that the bears were still listed as a threatening type in Florida in June 2012.
“Fortunately, the population of the Black Bear is growing in Florida. We have more bears now more than ever before, but our memorization efforts have not ended,” the document said.
Also, the memories of the activists are the catastrophe of the latest chase in Florida in 2015, a planned event for a week It ended prematurely When more than 3,200 fishermen descend on the state and a pen of approximately 10 % of the state’s population in the state within two days.
The number of deaths eventually included 305 mothers and cubs and many bears less than 100 pounds, all of which were supposed to be outside the borders. It turned out that some fishermen had illegally tasted their targets, killing 112 bear within 24 hours in a Florida area of Banhandel, where the cover was placed in 40.
FWC abandoned hunting plans in subsequent years, until the proposal appeared again this year for a 23 -day event in December. Hunt, who obtained an initial approval in a 4-1 vote at a committee meeting earlier this month, seeks to “remove” 187 Bears across four regions, and the fishermen will pay $ 300 to obtain a permit ($ 100 for a resident in Florida), in addition to a request fee of $ 5.
A The contact launched by the Dabon Defense To oppose it has more than 40,000 signatures.
Committee officials refer to a Repeated answer questions page On the FWC website, which says why the new bear is required.
She said: “There is a limited amount of appropriate bear habitats, so if the population continues to grow without deterrence, the bears will have to start living in more marginal habitats, such as the neighborhoods.”
“Dipped bearing is a positive value to the bears by providing people with additional economic and entertainment opportunities. Fishermen can use meat, fat, fat and other parts of the bear that harvested. Unlike all other current management options, organized fishing generates financing for preservation.”
Scott said that the meat argument in particular is false. “This is nonsense. No one eats the bear meat, it is oily and not a pleasant meat to eat,” he said.
“You have to think about the money and strength of people who want to chase the bears. They are fishermen in the cup, and the type of players who can go to Africa and put leopards, giraffes, black and things. Let’s not hide ourselves here, these men just want to be on the wall.”
