Conservation groups call for 'science-based' approach to Alberta grizzly bear hunt proposal

Recent calls for the Alberta authorities to open up the first grizzly bear hunting season in two decades aren't justified by science, some conservation groups say.

Last month, the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) passed a policy resolution calling to "advocate to the [provincial government] to implement a regulated grizzly bear hunt administered through a draw system."

But a lack of recent grizzly bear population research has prompted conservation groups to stress the need for a "science-based" approach to grizzly management.

The Alberta Wildlife Federation said in a statement it would support "limited harvest" of grizzly bears, if it were justified as part of a management plan.

"The regulated hunt would need to be based on sound science that reflects the need to sustain the grizzly bear population while balancing the societal needs for human safety and protection of property."

The RMA's advocacy stems from what Cardston County called "a significant increase in human-bear interactions" in southwestern Alberta, including a fisherman injured by a grizzly with cubs near the town of Cardston, about 20 kilometres north of the U.S. Border, last summer.

The majority of RMA's membership, which is made up of more than 60 rural Alberta counties and municipal districts, voted in support of the resolution.

In 2024, the RMA called for the province to increase funding for management of grizzly bears, particularly "problem" bears. That lobbying was unsuccessful.

“Alberta’s government is focused on protecting both public safety and wildlife by continuing to manage grizzly bears responsibly," the province said.

"We don't have current updated population numbers for what the grizzly bear population looks like here," Luo said. "All of our population estimates are from eight years ago, or older."

There hasn't been a provincial study on grizzly numbers since 2018. The RMA policy resolution points to data from a 2016 study suggesting a high population density of grizzly bears in southwestern Alberta.

"All the information we have on what the grizzly bear population looks like right now is mostly speculation and assumptions," Luo said. "We don't have the monitoring data to justify that grizzly bear numbers are increasing."

Proposal to hunt grizzly bears in Alberta faces pushback

Without a proper count, Luo said increased encounters could potentially be chalked up to bears pushed out of their habitat by development, or increased visitation to bear country by hikers and tourists, rather than increasing grizzly numbers.

Last year, a high number of bear encounters in provincial parks led Alberta Parks to issue a blanket bear warning for the entirety of Kananaskis Country — the first time such an advisory was issued since 2016.

Luo said the organization's stance could change if presented with evidence that grizzly bear numbers have gone up substantially.

The RMA is also calling for the province "to end the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan," which has been in place since 2008, "and implement a Grizzly Bear Management Plan."

The recovery plan includes protecting and restoring grizzly habitat in mapped-out bear management areas, working to minimize the risk of human-wildlife conflict and human-caused grizzly bear mortality, and raising awareness on bear coexistence through BearSmart programs across Alberta.

Exposed Wildlife Conservancy executive director Maggie Spizzirri said in a statement that hunting grizzly bears would "not address the root causes of conflict."

“Wildlife management decisions must be grounded in current, peer-reviewed science,” said Spizzirri. “Anecdotal observations cannot replace robust data when we’re making decisions about a threatened species."

The Alberta government designated grizzly bears a threatened species in 2010, meaning there were believed to be fewer than 1,000 mature adults in the province. Adults make up roughly half of the grizzly population.

The province said in a 2024 release that Alberta’s grizzly bear population had “increased from approximately 800 to more than 1,150 now, causing them to move into more populated areas.”

Grizzly bear hunting has been banned in Alberta since 2006, with the exception of harvesting by Indigenous hunters for subsistence or cultural purposes. The province also allows approved hunters to kill "problem" grizzlies on a case-by-case basis through the Wildlife Management Responder Network introduced in 2024.

Exposed Wildlife Conservancy expressed support for some of the non-lethal proposals the RMA advocated for, which include calls for the province to "establish a dedicated funding program to support grizzly bear research, conflict-mitigation efforts, and community safety initiatives" and to increase funding to help landowners bear-proof their property.

The provincial government announced in 2024 it would spend $700,000 over five years to keep large carnivores away from rural properties in southwestern Alberta. 

"These things are expensive to do, and they're time-consuming," he said.

Stenhouse said during his time working with the province, his research consistently demonstrated grizzly numbers were on the rise in much of Alberta.

"I think a lot of people said, 'OK, we're done. We know everything now. Bears are good. Let's move on to another problem,'" he said. "And unfortunately, I don't think that was a good call. I think you need to keep monitoring, especially in areas where people are having difficulties."

Grizzly goes after beehives in Bearberry, Alta.

Stenhouse said he wants the provincial government to set resources aside for more grizzly bear population research.

"It has to be seen as a priority, and personally I think it should be," he said. "These are still listed as a threatened species, and to manage them wisely, we need to continue to monitor."

"I think as a society and as a government, we need to continue to collect data to make good decisions, and to make decisions without data is very risky."

The province's previous grizzly bear population research came with a hefty price tag, but Stenhouse suggested less-expensive options like working with ranchers to collect grizzly bear hair for DNA research.

"I think involving local people to help understand bears will make a big difference," he said.

"Most Albertans want to know that there's grizzly bears in our province. I think we take pride in that, right? It's part of how we feel as Albertans, and the idea that you don't just have to go to the national parks to see a bear. You can see them other places too," he said.

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