Approximately 50 people gathered in Sidney to protest deer eradication on Sidney Island.
The peaceful demonstration took place Friday (Nov. 3) afternoon at Beacon Park.
Parks Canada is planning a mass kill of all the fallow deer on Sidney Island, and protest organizer Sharon Glynn said all native black-tailed deer will also be completely exterminated in the process.
“We think this is unjust and unnecessary,” Glynn said. “The population has already been radically reduced to perhaps 100 or 200 … This is under control because of safe hunting parties on the island.”
According to Kate Humble, superintendent of the Gulf Island National Park Reserve, the purpose of Park’s Canada’s project is not to have a small controlled population of fallow deer on Sidney Island, but instead to eliminate the invasive fallow deer from the island to allow the native black tail deer to recover.
In a previous interview, Humble said the combination of hunting and big culls over the land has led to 15,000 fallow deer being killed on the island cumulatively.
The deer eradication is part of a $5.9-million contract, and Parks Canada said this will help restore the native understory growth.
“Why is our government spending $5.9 million on this project when the majority of the island is private,” Glynn asked.
Fallow deer will be killed by sharpshooters in helicopters and hunters on land with tracking dogs.
“The decision to use a team of sharpshooters came about partly in consultation with the BC SPCA because humane methods of dispatching deer have been project partners’ number-one priority from the beginning,” Humble had said. “Sharpshooters are gifted, skilled people, many of these people are also trained veterinarians. So this is the method that is going to allow the deer to be dispatched instantaneously as humanely as possible.”
Tsawout First Nation hereditary chief Eric Pelkey had previously voiced support for the Parks Canada project.
“To know that our ancestors are watching us and they’re really happy that the forest can be restored to what it was,” Pelkey said in a previous interview. “They were here when they utilized this forest full time.”
The protesters are asking Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May to respond to their demonstration.
“We are hoping that she brings this up in Parliament,” Glynn said. “We want her to ask for a postponement at the very least so we can see more scientific data. We really hope that they will listen.”
– With files from Ella Matte
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