Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan has released a report on coyote management prepared by the Environmental Advisory Council.
During the spring session of the PEI Legislature, a resolution was passed in support of measures, including a bounty, to control the coyote population.
In response to the resolution, Minister Gillan asked the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) to examine various options for coyote management. The Council is appointed under the Environmental Protection Act to advise the Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment on issues of environmental concern.
In releasing the coyote management report, Minister Gillan recognized the Environmental Advisory Council for its work on the project.
"I want to thank the Council for the research they did and the tremendous effort that was put forward by the three-person subcommittee leading the project, Kevin MacAdam of Morell, Emmerson McMillan of Ascension and Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust of Wheatley River."
The subcommittee met with a broad range of groups with an interest in the issue of coyote management including sheep and other livestock producers, hunters, trappers, naturalists and members of the general public.
In the report to Minister Gillan, the Environmental Advisory Council makes 12 recommendations in the areas of education and extension services, dead stock disposal and dealing with individual problem coyotes.
Minister Gillan said he has discussed the coyote management report with his caucus colleagues.
"After carefully reviewing the recommendations, the decision is to take measures to control particular coyotes that are causing problems," the Minister said. "Caucus accepts the recommendation that there is no need for a bounty; however, we do favour extending the hunting season on coyotes an additional two weeks."
Copies of the report Coyote Management in Prince Edward Island are available at Island Information Services and online at: http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/fae_coyote_man.pdf.
For further information, contact the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment at (902) 368-5000.
BACKGROUNDER
The Environmental Advisory Council was asked by Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan to examine the issue of coyote management and report back with recommendations on how the coyote population in Prince Edward Island should be managed. In its report to the Minister, the Environmental Advisory Council makes 12 recommendations in the areas of education and extension services, dead stock disposal and dealing with individual problem coyotes.
Education and Extension Services:
1. Provide education to discourage residents from providing food for mammalian carnivores or leaving edible material where they can find it.
2. Provide extension services on best farming practices for coyote control, e.g. make available electric fencing and charger to sheep producers on a demonstration basis.
3. Provide partial funding for control techniques for producers who have a predator control plan. This could be administered in a similar way to the Agricultural Environmental Resources Conservation program.
Dead Stock Disposal:
4. Promote proper disposal of dead stock as per the guidelines from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
5. Consider upgrading the "Guidelines For Disposal of Dead Farm Livestock" to regulations, if necessary, and enforcing them.
6. Promote composting of dead stock, either on-farm or at centralized dead stock composting facilities, as the preferred method for disposal where the dead stock pick-up service is not used.
Dealing with Individual Problem Coyotes:
7. Set up an animal control system to identify and deal with problem animals. This would include continuing the "hotline" to report problem animals of all species.
8. Continue to issue nuisance animal permits to deal with problem animals.
9. Provide some financial support to trappers and hunters who take out problem coyotes when requested by livestock producers, outside of the hunting and trapping season, as documented through the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment.
10. Maintain the current trapping and hunting season for coyotes.
11. Fund part of firearms qualifications courses for livestock owners so that they are able to possess and use firearms if they have not already acquired the necessary courses.
12. Do not impose a bounty.