Ag minister wants feedback on wildlife control

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Wildlife damage to livestock is an important issue of concern both for Ontario's farmers and my ministry. 
 
The Livestock, Poultry and Honey Bee Protection Act which manages livestock damage compensation programs is over 30 years old and out of date, so earlier this spring we took action and proposed a number of changes to the act to better meet the needs of farmers.
 
Modernizing this legislation will give us the ability to update livestock damage compensation programs to expand the number of species that farmers can be compensated for and increase the prescribed maximum compensation rates to reflect current market values.
 
Over the summer we have been meeting with producer organizations to gather input on our proposal and make sure that the updated compensation rates are both fair and reasonable. It is important for us to get input on the overall concept of the new program first, as this will help shape the more detailed design elements.
 
We've also developed a discussion paper which includes the broader, major agriculture-wildlife issues expressed by members of our agricultural community and is another way for us to proactively engage farmers, producers, and other interested parties in discussions.
 
We want to hear from as many people as possible, and our discussion paper has been posted online since early August for public comment. 
 
The Managing Agriculture-Wildlife Conflicts Discussion Paper can be found on OMAFRA's website under Quick Links and is available for comment until October 1st.
 
The McGuinty government is committed to supporting Ontario's farmers. Developing a strategy that will help minimize the damages their operations face as a result of wildlife damage is just one of the many ways we're working together with farmers to develop meaningful programs that work for all of us.
 
Sincerely,

Carol Mitchell
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs