Plan only goes part way

The government has heard the warnings of a potential collapse of the province's native caribou population from outdoors enthusiasts, outfitters and wildlife biologists.

The Department of Environment has launched a five-year strategy to cope with the rapid, and alarming, declines recorded in the woodland caribou herds on the island.

To shore up the herds, the government is investing $15.3 million in a plan that will fund more scientific research, big game licence quota reductions and education for hunters and trappers.

Caribou predators will be targeted in the plan as well.

Unfortunately, the province is still only partially committed to the idea that the arrival of coyotes on the island has added to the decline.

Instead, they are once again keying in on the effect of black bear predation.

Part of the plan is a provincewide study of black bear populations and a predator control program around caribou calving grounds.

Recent studies show that annual calf survival rates have dropped as low as 10 per cent in some herds.

The province has made a great leap forward by at least admitting that coyotes are going after caribou calves. However, they insist on making the black bear out to be the biggest threat.

Black bear and caribou have lived on this island for thousands of years and established a natural balance.

There are many other factors playing a part in the decline of the caribou.

Habitat reduction wasn't even mentioned in the government's announcement and the introduction of coyotes into the mix looks like it's being downplayed.

If the caribou are going to have a chance to rebuild their numbers, we're going to need an unbiased and apolitical plan in place to deal with the problems.