Political leader will push for reinstatement of black bear hunting (9/12/2002)

Ontario-

The mayor of a northwest Ontario town intends to use his position on the provincial government’s Nuisance Bear Committee to lobby for the reinstatement of a spring bear hunt.

Fort Frances Mayor Glenn Witherspoon was appointed to the Nuisance Bear Committee by Ontario Natural Resources Minister Jerry Ouellette.  The committee will review the biology, literature and geographic and socio-economic factors relating to perceived nuisance bear problems in Ontario.  It will also look at the municipal impacts and compare the effects of bear harvesting from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Although there were no outfitters or hunting groups appointed to the group, Mayor Witherspoon said the committee may be the key to getting the spring bear hunt reinstated.  He admitted that the key reason he agreed to sit on the committee was to argue in favor of the spring bear hunt.

“The timing is of the essence here.  The new premier (Ernie Eves) promised to reinstate the spring bear hunt, an issue of interest to tourist operators for sure,” said Mayor Witherspoon.  He went on to emphasize a need for the hunt in northern Ontario.

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