Hunting Limits
The announcement that the US government may put polar bears on the threatened list of species has some people up here quite annoyed. Charging southern big game hunters obscene sums for the right to hunt the bears is a good source of revenue for some, so the possibility that the revenue stream might be cut off has them worried.
A fairly similar story came out the day before from the NWT regarding caribou limits for the Bathurst herd. The large herd has dropped significantly from 472,000 to 128,000 in the last twenty years. The other caribou herds in the NWT have also dropped quite dramatically. I'm uncertain about the ones in Nunavut.
In both cases, the people whose livelihood depends on the animals are the ones fighting to keep the hunts going. I've never quite figured out that logic. You would think they would be the ones most interested in ensuring the long-term survival of the animals. Then again, look at the cod fishery in Newfoundland.
If they're worried about how a cutting back will affect them now, they should consider what they'll do when the herds or bears are gone entirely. This way they'll have some time to diversify.
If climate change is the reason for the decline, we might as well say good-bye to the species. The habitats will be destroyed and the hunting won't make any real difference. On the other hand, over hunting will doom them even if some of their habitat survives. Controlling what you can seems to make the most sense.
Of course, choosing what makes the most sense isn't known to be a common human trait. We'll see if short-term economic interests win out over long-term planning yet again.
