To conserve caribou, the Forest Industry Council (CIFQ) suggests prioritizing hunting of predators such as wolves and bears before closing logging roads at great expense.
Our Parliament Office has received the mandate from representatives of the timber industry to be submitted to the Independent Commission on Forest and Mountain Caribou.
Recall that the Legault government has postponed the submission of its plan to ensure the survival of this endangered species, preferring to set up this body which has held a series of consultations over the past two months.
Caribou are in decline in Quebec. Some populations are particularly endangered, such as the Charlevoix herd with 16 animals and the Val d’Or herd with only seven animals left. These two herds now live in pens.
“CIFQ members are very concerned about the caribou situation. Through their actions, they have contributed and intend to continue to contribute to establishing lasting solutions to protect caribou,” the 50-page document reads.
losses for the industry
However, foresters do not hide the fact that the survival of this emblematic animal of Quebec has had a significant impact on their industry. Measures already taken to protect the habitat of this endangered species result in “loss of economic activity on the order of approximately $150 million annually,” it said.
The proliferation of logging roads and deforestation over the years have helped reduce the quality of woodland caribou habitat. And predators like to take advantage of these sparse forests.
The government is already resorting to capturing wolves, which threaten Charlevoix’s caribou herd. Targeted helicopter kills of predators were also used in Abitibi-Témiscamingue to protect the remaining deer population.
The logging industry believes in tracking wolves, coyotes and bears, particularly through working with certain Aboriginal communities who have exclusive hunting and trapping rights.
“The CIFQ recommends prioritizing predator control measures to reduce early caribou mortality before considering costly and highly detrimental road rehabilitation measures.”
Using maternity pens to protect pregnant women is also a way to set priorities for the next five years, we suggest in the briefing.
Intensive production areas
To compensate for the land set aside for caribou habitat conservation, the industry is demanding the ability to conduct intensive forestry on areas closer to the factories.
“The forest industry does not need square kilometers to produce the various products that meet market needs, but cubic meters. The more dynamically practiced development of forestry combined with an intensification of silvicultural budgets would make it possible in the long term to obtain the same quantities on smaller areas,” the document demands.
The CIFQ points out that caribou conservation must not hide their social and economic impact. “The vitality of nearly 900 communities in Quebec depends directly or indirectly on the forest industry,” which will be most affected by the decisions to be made.
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