The province was aware there would be economic losses as a result of their decision to cancel the Cape Breton moose hunt for the next three years.
“Local guides, hotels, and places like restaurants will certainly feel the impact of our decision,” said Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton. “However if we didn’t impose the moratorium it’s possible we could lose the island herd (of moose) altogether,”.
While speaking with reporters on Thursday Rushton said the decision to halt the moose hunt was made jointly by his department and Miqmaq leadership who co-manage the island moose population.
“It wasn’t an easy decision and we know some people will be upset, but we want to ensure that the moose population gets back to healthy levels so future generations can participate in hunting,” Rushton said.
The most recent population survey estimated there are fewer than 850 moose currently on the island, which is a significant drop from 1,500 the year prior.
Rushton also says the province wants to learn more about what is killing so many moose as only 150 moose were harvested with licenses last year, leaving the cause of death for at least 600 moose unaccounted for.
“We are looking into if there are natural causes like a brain parasite known to kill moose or if poaching is accounting for some of the losses,” Rushton said.
Rushton said his department would like to see a population of 3,000 or more before considering resuming the hunt.
He also said it’s possible the hunt could return in a different format, suggesting it could move to another time of the year or be done in smaller numbers if research supports those changes.
