Emaciated grizzly bears in Canada spark greater concerns over depleted salmon population

Ernest Alfred is with Swanson Occupation, which is an organization that’s working to have open-net pens removed from the waters. He lives in Alert Bay, which borders the Broughton Archipelago provincial park. The area is known for its wildlife - orca’s, eagles, wolves etc… - and, of course, grizzly bears. 

The presence of grizzly bears in the area attracts a lot of tourists, but recently, Alfred and other people in the area have noticed something disturbing was happening to the bears… 

The pictures of the grizzly bears are quite alarming. Grizzly bears, depending on gender, weigh between 250 pound to almost 600 pounds. In the pictures, which were taken photographer Rolf Hicker, the bears appear to be extremely underweight.

As you have heard before, there is a lot of concern about the impact that farmed salmon have on our wild salmon stocks. Essentially, Alfred and other environmental stewards believe that the diseases and sea lice attributed to farmed salmon have contributed to the depletion of wild salmon stocks, which results in grizzly bears not having enough to eat, which can be dangerous heading into hibernation. 

Alfred then told me that he was approached by a Hereditary chief from the Mamalilakawa First Nations about what was happening with the grizzly bears in Knight Inlet. The Chief decided that it was time for them to do something to help the bears… and this what has made so much news. The Mamalilakawa First Nations arranged for 500 salmon, donated by A-Tlegay Fisheries Society on Vancouver Island, to be distributed along the shorelines that the grizzlies frequent.

Those actions caught the attention of the government, and Alfred told me that they received a message from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans… 

Now, of course, a lot of people have been critical of the action of feeding the bears because they feel it works to habituate the bears. I asked Alfred what he would say to that criticism… 

Guest: Claire Allen 

CKNW Contributor

Ernest Alfred is with Swanson Occupation, which is an organization that’s working to have open-net pens removed from the waters. He lives in Alert Bay, which borders the Broughton Archipelago provincial park. The area is known for its wildlife - orca’s, eagles, wolves etc… - and, of course, grizzly bears. 

The presence of grizzly bears in the area attracts a lot of tourists, but recently, Alfred and other people in the area have noticed something disturbing was happening to the bears… 

The pictures of the grizzly bears are quite alarming. Grizzly bears, depending on gender, weigh between 250 pound to almost 600 pounds. In the pictures, which were taken photographer Rolf Hicker, the bears appear to be extremely underweight.

As you have heard before, there is a lot of concern about the impact that farmed salmon have on our wild salmon stocks. Essentially, Alfred and other environmental stewards believe that the diseases and sea lice attributed to farmed salmon have contributed to the depletion of wild salmon stocks, which results in grizzly bears not having enough to eat, which can be dangerous heading into hibernation. 

Alfred then told me that he was approached by a Hereditary chief from the Mamalilakawa First Nations about what was happening with the grizzly bears in Knight Inlet. The Chief decided that it was time for them to do something to help the bears… and this what has made so much news. The Mamalilakawa First Nations arranged for 500 salmon, donated by A-Tlegay Fisheries Society on Vancouver Island, to be distributed along the shorelines that the grizzlies frequent.

Those actions caught the attention of the government, and Alfred told me that they received a message from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans… 

Now, of course, a lot of people have been critical of the action of feeding the bears because they feel it works to habituate the bears. I asked Alfred what he would say to that criticism… 

Guest: Claire Allen 

CKNW Contributor