[Shrike]

I seriously wonder if Alberta has not developed tunnel vision in their approach to their caribou conservation program. Good grief Bob Stuart is a very experienced and successful biologist. Being a retired biologist myself, I remember Bob Stuart and his very successful program.
Our Alberta bios should sit down with Bob and his crew and hear him out.
My personal question is whether we can justify continuously killing the huge number of moose and other ungulates for poison bait besides the non targeted species, to save a small tethering herd of caribou. This herd has been tottering on the brink for decades now. We have to ask ourselves seriously if this little herd is viable. Predator control can be effective short term help if a viable population goes down due to say a couple of bad winters, then gets heavily hit by predators. Short term removal of predators then can be very helpful for that population to recover.
Can this caribou population survive without continuous help? I remember this question went already around in the late eighties. At that time factors of decline were human activity like road kills, habitat removal by clear cutting or fire, building roads, oil and industrial activity, shooting because of mistaken identity, poaching and predation. It probably is still is a combination of the same old factors combined.
Seems Alberta is continuing to prop this little herd up no matter what the cost to other wildlife resources, while they may even be targeting the wrong predator!
A caribou herd in Alberta would be very nice, but it should be one that is viable, that can survive the above onslaught.
If not, may be............we should let it be and let it slide into extinction.
Sounds hard and uncaring, but after decades of trying to save the population is not producing the desired results, it never may and our resources should be put to work where they will do good, rather then a well meant but misguided government effort, saving that what can not be saved. It does supply some bios and techs with an ongoing job, but that is not the purpose of the exercise.
When it comes to terms like endangered and at risk Often a tremendous zeal develops to save it and that is admirable. Asking if it is worth the cost is unfortunate frequently regarded as heresy.
In the mean time I fully agree with Bob. Online hand wringing accomplishes nothing, while letters to the Minister do get attention.