Debate over proposed Florida bear hunt plays out at FWC meeting
Debate over proposed Florida bear hunt
Florida could be inching toward another sanctioned bear hunt. On December 11, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) provided a five-year update on their ten-year bear management plan. The agency also heard discussion over proposals for a sanctioned hunt.
LAKELAND, Fla. - Florida could be inching toward another sanctioned bear hunt.
On December 11, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) provided a five-year update on their ten-year bear management plan. The agency also heard discussion over proposals for a sanctioned hunt.
"This is not about wiping out bears," said one man in favor of a bear hunt. "It's about maintaining a balanced population and high-density areas where non-lethal methods alone may not be enough."
Katrina Shadix, executive director of Bear Warriors United, is against a bear hunt. Shadix said the Florida black bear population cannot sustain a hunt.
"We don't have a bear problem; have a people problem," Shadix said. "Florida has 23 million people taking the habitat away from only 4,000 bears."
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The proposed hunt comes on the heels of the November election, in which amendment 2 was passed. The amendment established a constitutional right to hunt and fish in Florida.
Florida has not permitted a bear hunt since 2015, when an anticipated week-long hunt was called off by FWC after 48 hours because hunters killed 304 bears.
FWC estimates Florida’s bear population was once over 11,000. Loss of habitat and over-hunting led to the population dropping to only a few hundred bears by the 70s.
After being designated a state threatened species, numbers began to rebound. In 2012, black bears were removed from the threatened species list in Florida. Their population was most recently estimated to be at around 4,000.
Pro bear hunt or not, both sides said habitat preservation should be top of mind.
"We can fight about what animals they want to kill later, but right now, we all need to work together to save the land where all of this wildlife lives are they're not going to have anything to hunt ever.
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"The revenue from a regulated hunt could also be used to fund conservation efforts such as habitat restoration and public education programs," one man said at the meeting.
Proposals for a sanctioned bear hunt are expected to be complete by May 2025, and will be discussed again at FWC’s commission meeting.
According to Shadix, there is no reason to re-invent the wheel; people need to learn how to peacefully co-exist with bears.
"We have found that 100% of bear sightings and bear interactions have been reduced by simply securing their trash."
Bear Warriors United distributes free "bear care packages" to help educate people on bear safety. The package includes trash can bear straps, to keep garbage cans secure. To receive a package, contact Bear Warriors United at 407-702-3576 or bearwarriorsunited@gmail.com.
The Source: Information for this story was provided to FOX 35 News by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and by Bear Warriors United, whose mission includes preserving and protecting bears and their habitats in Florida.