According to Radio-Canada, no agent has set foot there since July.
This means that since the hunt opened on September 1, no prevention or control operations have been conducted with hunters on the ground. The season ends next week at the latest, on December 24th.
According to the Syndicat des agents de protection de la faune du Québec, reports received by the Côte-Nord regional office were handled remotely rather than by on-site officials. In one particular case, the carcass of an illegally killed deer had to be transferred by a private individual.
Wildlife Protection Officers are considered Peace Officers and are responsible for enforcing the Quebec Wildlife Conservation and Development Act.
Photo: Radio Canada / Boualem Hadjouti
Union President Martin Perreault denounces this situation and believes that that role falls to the agents whose mandate is to enforce the Law on Respect for Wildlife Conservation and Development.
When we got the report we were told not to go. They asked a Sépaq employee [Société des établissements de plein air du Québec] to seize the animal and bring it ashore. They have no right to do that, he decides.
busy time
According to the Department of Wildlife, 6,300 white-tailed deer were caught last year on Anticosti Island, where the density of animals is 20.9 per square kilometer.
Although he admits that instances of poaching in Hunting Zone 20 are rare, Mr Perreault assures there is plenty to do with the 2,000 to 3,000 hunters who visit the 8,000 square kilometer island every year.
According to the union, it is an exception not to send staff to Anticosti island to monitor the hunting season.
Anticosti Island is popular with hunters for its large population of white-tailed deer. (Archive)
Photo: Radio Canada / Marc-Antoine Mageau
Martin Perreault explains that there was a permanent position beforehand, but it was not filled after the departure of the agent based in Port-Menier. Since then, a rotation between different agents ensured a presence on the territory of Anticosti Island, especially during deer hunting.
According to Mr Perreault, there could be a day or two without an agent on the field, but never for an entire season, as has happened this year. The latter also mentions that it is not about the will of the agents, on the contrary. Along with Kuujjuaq in Nunavik, he says, Anticosti Island is one of the most popular destinations for temporary operations.
Last minute
The Department for Environment, Climate Protection, Wildlife and Parks is defending its decision by calling for risk management. Anticosti Island was not among the priorities for intervention, according to Wildlife Protection.
For this autumn, this decision is due, among other things, to the seriousness of the threats to wildlife related to the island of Anticosti. Therefore, under the current circumstances, the organization has favored concentrating conservation efforts on other more problematic sectors, a spokesman wrote via email, noting that it was not a budget issue.
The Wildlife Protection offices are in Port-Menier. (Archive)
Photo: Radio Canada / Marc-Antoine Mageau
Officially, for operational reasons, the ministry declined to say whether it intends to send agents to the island anytime soon. Wildlife Protection intends to continue its protection work on Anticosti Island and depends on the identified threats, it said.
A call for volunteers was made behind the scenes following Radio-Canada’s request for information on the situation on the island of Anticosti.
Indeed, Quebec’s North Shore Regional Wildlife Conservation Directorate called its officials on December 12 to assess their interest in visiting Anticosti Island between December 19 and 21. A gesture that the union says is not very serious, while the majority of hunters have already left the island.
Sepaq keeps his eyes open
The Society of Outdoor Establishments of Quebec (Sépaq), manager of an imposing outfitter on the island of Anticosti, has pledged its full cooperation despite the absence of wildlife officers this year.
Sépaq guides, park rangers or conservation assistants are required to denounce any act of poaching or illegal hunting they witness, spokesman Simon Boivin said. If irregularities are found, they can be sent to the regional wildlife authority by telephone or e-mail for processing by the responsible authorities.
According to Mr. Boivin, there have been few instances of poaching or illegal hunting observed by our staff.
In addition to Sépaq, a handful of private hunting outfitters offer hunting experiences to visitors to Anticosti Island.