Alberta's NDP government is banning the use of spears for hunting big game animals.
New hunting regulations announced Wednesday prohibit the use of spears and spear-throwing tools like atlatls — a type of stick hunters use to throw a dart or short spear at prey. The new rules also introduce new standards for ammunition.
"These changes will discourage reckless actions and ensure big game animals are not subjected to unnecessary suffering," reads a statement from the province.
Starting with the 2018 hunting season, only rifles, shotguns and conventional archery gear will be legal for hunting big game animals including deer, elk, moose and bear.
Big game hunters will also be required to use a minimum .24-calibre buckshot "to ensure a quick and effective kill."
Those caught breaking the rules under Alberta's Wildlife Act could face up to $50,000 in fines or be sentenced to a year in jail.
"Modernizing our hunting regulations will ensure safety and prevent game from experiencing undue suffering," said Environment Minister Shannon Phillips in a statement.
The new regulations had been promised since August 2016, after a video surfaced online showing an American hunter throwing a spear at a black bear in northern Alberta and then cheering to celebrate his kill.
More specifics in regulations
Alberta Environment and Parks said more than 3,900 responses from the public helped shape the new regulations. The new rules won't interfere with the rights of Indigenous hunters to practise traditional hunting methods, the province said.
About 118,000 people hunt big game in the province each year. More than 90 per cent of them are Alberta residents.
The vast majority use firearms, with about 18 per cent getting a bow-hunting licence.
from CBC | Top Stories News http://ift.tt/2Et6G5U
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