Changes Announced to Improve Moose Management in the Province

The Provincial Government announced a number of changes today regarding the management of moose populations in the province. New resident hunting licences, confirmation of a date for Sunday hunting, as well as the extension of the moose hunting season on the island portion of the province, are among the changes brought forward for the upcoming hunting season.

"Under a model first adopted in the 1950s, moose in our province are currently managed on the principle of maximum sustainable yield, the maximum number at which a population can be harvested without undue long-term damage to the population," said the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation. "We have reviewed our current approach to management of this species, and we have determined that a number of changes are warranted. These changes will positively impact our ability to adequately manage this particular animal."

A total of 2,154 new resident hunting licences will be added for the 2010 hunting season. This increase reflects the information gathered through trend data collected annually from hunter licence returns, aerial surveys conducted in several moose management areas, and areas with lower success rates for harvesting moose.

The introduction of a longer hunting season by three weeks supports the goal of maximizing the number of moose harvested. This will encourage hunting in more remote or semi-remote areas, as a longer season that extends into the winter months will give hunters an opportunity to gain access to remote areas by snowmobile. This will also provide increased opportunity for those hunters not successful earlier in the year.

In the western/central Newfoundland Moose Management Areas (MMAs), the season will now close January 2. In the eastern MMAs, the season will now close January 23.

Minister Johnson also confirmed that Sunday hunting will begin on the first Sunday in October. For the 2010 season, this will be October 3. Additionally, non-profit moose licences will be increased from 150 to 200.

"Today's announcement, combined with our enhanced brush clearing efforts, highway signage, moose awareness campaign and our continued analysis of moose-vehicle collision reduction measures in other jurisdictions shows that this government takes the issue of moose-vehicle accidents seriously," said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works. "But, I must continue to stress that the best line of defence is a cautious driver. We feel that if drivers reduce their speeds and remain alert, it will go a long way to help further decrease highway incidents."

The addition of new resident licences, along with the extension of the hunting season, will also help address concerns regarding forest health in remote regions of the province. Increased hunting pressure in these areas will assist in controlling habitat degradation caused by moose over-browsing forest vegetation.

Minister Johnson also announced today that a five-year plan will be developed to review all moose management areas in the province, as well as the licensing regime in each.

"Overall, island moose populations are healthy, with total island estimates at approximately 120,000," said Minister Johnson. "We want to ensure that we continue to employ the proper measures to balance the sustainability of this species with the social, cultural and economic status that it has in our province, particularly in rural areas. That is why we have also made a commitment to develop a five-year moose management plan to assist in our efforts to continue to effectively manage moose populations on the island."

• Video of Minister's News Conference

- 30 -

Media contacts:

2010 03 22                                                    9:10 a.m.