TALLAHASSEE — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee officials confirmed Thursday that the point out will not likely hold a bear hunt this year.
Issues that dialogue of a hunt may well be on the agenda drew animal rights advocates to the commission’s assembly at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront on Thursday.
But a spokeswoman for the commission claimed the company has not scheduled a discussion about a bear hunt, which would be required to set up rules and allowing specifications.
“Previously this yr, FWC Commissioners asked for employees present an update on Florida black bears to a long term Commission meeting however, a date for this update has not however been finalized,” spokeswoman Lisa Thompson said in an email.
Kate MacFall, who represents the Humane Culture, was between bear-hunt opponents who tackled the commission Thursday.
“The public does not help it. The hunt in 2015 introduced, sad to say, a ton of criticism to the company and adverse push nationally,” she explained. “FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee) is carrying out wonderful get the job done, like the springs safety, like operating to secure pelicans, your sturdy reaction to CWD (chronic wasting disease), progress in non-native wildlife. Of course, way too numerous to name. So, we urge you to retain the focus on the wonderful work staying accomplished listed here in Florida and prevent unforced glitches.”
The fee very last authorized a bear hunt in 2015, the initially in more than two many years.
The hunt was promoted as slowing an improve of black bears in the condition and cutting down dangerous interactions in between bears and individuals.
The 2015 bear “harvest” was set to final a week in four sections of the condition, with 320 bears predicted to be killed. Instead, the hunt was identified as off after two times as the bear demise depend speedily attained 304.
The fee in 2019 approved a 10-year approach for bears that principally stresses utilizing education and learning and non-lethal methods to regulate the animals.
Underneath the strategy, hunting remains an alternative if interactions amongst bears and human beings escalate amid the expanding amount of people in the condition.
As of 2017, the fee believed there have been 4,050 black bears throughout Florida. More than the earlier 5 years, the point out has averaged 5,765 calls a calendar year about bears, in accordance to the commission. In 2022 there had been 5,907 calls, up from 5,738 in 2021.
