Bill 26 amendments clarify wildlife management legislation 03/10/09
Amendments address enforcement, sentencing and wildlife control measures
Edmonton... Proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act will address challenges around enforcement, sentencing and wildlife control measures and will better clarify the legislation to hunters, officers performing their duties and owners of captive wildlife or controlled animals.
"The changes will help avoid confusion in provincial courts and allow fish and wildlife officers to deal with offences and conduct wildlife control measures more effectively," said Sustainable Resource Development Minister Ted Morton.
If passed, Bill 26, the Wildlife Amendment Act, 2009, will:
- assess owners of captive wildlife or controlled animals with the
costs of transporting, recapturing or euthanizing animals that were kept in lawful captivity and escaped or were unlawfully released;
- authorize fish and wildlife officers with increased access to land
to respond to wildlife issues and monitor hunting activities;
- provide the courts with a higher penalty range to deal with those
who export wildlife or wildlife parts that are banned from export;
- clarify the evidence required to prove that edible flesh has been
wasted or become spoiled; and
- provide another creative sentencing option requiring a convicted
person to pay restitution to someone  who has incurred a financial loss as a result of the offence.
"Wildlife management is challenging and continuously changing, and these amendments will eliminate certain challenges in administering and enforcing the Act," said Bill 26's sponsor, Len Mitzel, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat. |
