Management of Hyperabundant Wildlife Populations in Canada’s National Parks
Parks Canada Agency. Management of Hyperabundant Wildlife Populations in Canada’s National Parks, Management Directive 4.4.11, December 2007
Full text [here]
Selected excerpts:
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 STATUS
This Directive cancels and replaces Management Directive 4.4.11: Disposal of Surplus Wildlife dated September 1999.
1.2 SCOPE
This Directive applies to the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations in national parks
1.3 PURPOSE
The purpose of this Directive is to:
• Provide policy direction and guidelines on the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations in national parks.
• Provide a nationally consistent approach to the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations in national parks.
• Implements the Parks Canada Agency commitment in the “Parks Canada First Priority” report to establish a national directive on control of Hyperabundant Wildlife populations in national Parks.
• Enhance and promote the involvement of Canadians in the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations in national parks.
• Provide guidelines for involving harvesters in the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations in national parks …
3. BACKGROUND
… Among the many management challenges in national parks across the country is the presence of hyperabundant wildlife populations. A wildlife population in a national park may become hyperabundant due to a combination of factors including, among others, the introduction of alien species, absence of naturally occurring predators and competitors, artificially high food abundance, and changing climate. In parks where wildlife populations are no longer regulated fully by natural factors and where scientific evidence provides reasonable grounds that the ecological integrity of the park has been or is likely to be compromised by the presence of a hyperabundant population, active management may be required.
The management of hyperabundant wildlife populations provides an opportunity for innovation and adaptive management. In managing hyperabundant animal populations for example, the preferred management option for Parks Canada has been to capture some individuals of the hyperabundant wildlife population and relocate them to other areas. Unfortunately, translocation is not always a practical way to manage hyperabundant wildlife populations, and a range of options appropriate for the species, local circumstances and the long term national park management objectives should be available to park managers. This Management Directive provides policy direction and guidelines for managing hyperabundant wildlife populations in national parks. The implementation of the directive is through the Hyperabundant Wildlife Population Management Plan which is drawn from the National Park Management Plan (See Appendix 2) …
6. BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR MANAGING HYPERABUNDANT WILDLIFE POPULATIONS
The following requirements must be clearly articulated in the Hyperabundant Wildlife Population Management Plan:
6.1 Management of hyperabundant wildlife populations should be taken when scientific assessments and other available information, including traditional knowledge, confirm that active management is required to counteract the effect of the hyperabundant wildlife population on the ecological integrity of the park;
6.2 The need for active management must be identified through the national park management planning process and a Hyperabundant Wildlife Population Management Plan developed as outlined in section 8 of this directive;
6.3 The reasons for hyperabundance must be well understood and/or evidence of adverse impacts on ecological integrity clearly demonstrated;
6.4 Clear objectives, numerical targets and critical thresholds for the population must be set using the best available science and/or traditional knowledge;
6.5 Both the positive and negative impacts of the proposed management initiatives on the overall ecological integrity objectives of the park must be predicted, and any negative impact must be fully evaluated and strategies for mitigation determined;
6.6 Management of a hyperabundant wildlife population must include a monitoring and reporting framework to evaluate:
6.6.1 the dynamics of the wildlife population being controlled;
6.6.2 the predicted impact of the control measures;
6.6.3 the effectiveness of the management actions; and,
6.6.4 areas where further research may be needed.
6.7 Aboriginal peoples and stakeholders must be consulted and provided with opportunities to provide input and/or participate in the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations …
14. DESTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUALS OF A HYPERABUNDANT WILDLIFE POPULATION
Destruction of individuals of a hyperabundant wildlife population should be considered only when other methods of population control are not deemed effective or feasible.
14.1 Destruction of individuals of a hyperabundant wildlife population shall be undertaken only when one or more of the following conditions apply:
14.1.1 There are no eligible recipients to take live individuals;
14.1.2 It is not feasible or practical to capture live individuals and relocate them in a way that respects the guiding principles of this directive;
14.1.3 Legal restrictions bar their relocation;
14.1.4 Individuals in the population cannot be relocated or sold because they harbour infectious disease(s) …
17. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
17.4 Director General, National Parks
The responsibilities of the Director General, National Parks include;
17.4.1 Providing policy direction and guidelines for managing hyperabundant wildlife populations;
17.4.2 Reporting on best practices for the management of hyperabundant wildlife populations based on successful programs from a variety of national parks and jurisdictions.
Original signed by Doug Stewart, Director General, National Parks, December 11, 2007
