Calif. Fish and Wildlife changes anger hunters
By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
The number of Californians who hunt has dwindled to less than 1 percent of the population, but some who still carry rifles outdoors complain the state commission overseeing them has become too cozy with the animal rights movement.
Now Gov. Jerry Brown is facing pressure from outdoor enthusiasts to fill two vacancies on the five-person Fish and Game Commission with people who understand hunters and anglers and their role in conservation.
“The commission has shifted from a philosophy of conservation to one of preservation, meaning its direction has gone to where fishing and hunting are more and more limited and very difficult,” said Marko Mlikotin, executive director of the California Sportfishing League.
Hunters in charge of wildlife management and conservation is nothing more than the fox guarding the hen house. Hunter backed science is being disproved on a daily basis as it pertains to medium/larger predatory species and their effect/contribution to any given ecosystem. Hunters have controlled basically 100% of wildlife management and conservation from it’s inception. It’s about time for the majority, the non hunting taxpaying public, to actually have a say!
I am not a hunter but I do agree that California wildlife management would benefit from a variety of perspectives including hunters, biologists, animal rights etc. There are many hunting and fishing organizations like Ducks Unlimited or Trout Unlimited , just to name a few that care just as much about wildlife management as the the Bear League. To suggest that people who hunt and fish don’t care about the resources and only non hunters care and can effectively manage the resources is a narrow and ideological view which I reject and dismiss at face value. Balance would be best.