[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Fw: Re: U.S. plans to net Canadian falcons - news story



We'd like to hear your opinion.  I have also forwarded the discussions we are having on this up here on Nature NS and Nature NB.
 
Tony Bezanson
Lake Echo, NS
bezanson@ns.sympatico.ca
 
-----Original Message-----
From: David Christie <MarysPt@NBNET.NB.CA>
To: NATURENB@hermes.csd.unb.ca <NATURENB@hermes.csd.unb.ca>
Date: November 8, 1999 10:32 PM
Subject: Re: U.S. plans to net Canadian falcons - news story

At 1:43 am -0400 on 6/11/1999, I wrote;

>Friday's Saint John Times-Globe and Moncton Times & Transcript each ran a
>story by David Young entitled "U.S. plans to net Canadian falcons".
>
>The story refers to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notice of intent
>that it is developing a plan to allow falconers to "harvest" peregrine
>falcons. Falcons would be netted along the Eastern Seaboard, possibly in
>Maryland, and then sold to people who use the birds for hunting.


Don McAlpine got the address for submitting comments on the proposal to net up to 250 Peregrine Falcons for falconers. Comments should be sent to: Chief, Office of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Since this coming Friday is the deadline, fax (703-358-2272) or e-mail to George Allen <george_allen@fws.gov> would be more timely than regular mail.


I now have time to quote some parts of Friday's news story which was written by David Young of the Saint John Times-Globe:

'They've identified Canada as a possible source for the birds," said Diane
Amirault, a wildlife biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service in
Sackville, N.B. "We will likely see some of our birds taken."

'In fact, biologists have caught some falcons sporting identification bands
from the Maritimes only a short distance from the site where the U.S.
government wants to allow the birds to be netted for sale.

'The proposed "harvest" comes only months after the U.S. government declared
the peregrine falcon's resurgence a success story and removed the bird from
the protection of the Endangered Species Act.

'In Canada, the peregrine falcon is still on the list of protected animals
and is considered threatened because of low populations in the southern
parts of the country.

'Chris Tollefson, a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said
they would work to make sure only birds from the Canadian Arctic and
Greenland are caught by the nets.

'To do that, American falconers would be allowed to capture peregrines only
early in the year. Birds in the Arctic migrate sooner than birds from the
Maritimes.'


A reason behind this proposal is the fact that assistance from falconers, who provided advice and some of the breeding stock, was of considerable importance in establishing the Peregrine Falcon recovery program. Now that it's been a success, their cooperation will be rewarded.

However, we have concerns that southern Canadian birds might be taken. We praticularly wouldn't want to possibly lose any adults of the Maritimes' 10 breeding pairs. If you are concerned, it would be worth writing, as an individual or on behalf of an organization, to let them know.


_ David Christie
___ /.\__ Mary's Point (45-43 N, 64-40 W)
<______) ( Albert, New Brunswick, CANADA
\ _____/ mailto:MarysPt@nbnet.nb.ca
_____|____ Nature NB: http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/maryspt/Nature-NB.html