My Speeches

Questions about American Hunters

Posted on Jun 05, 2007

UPDATE: On the questions below the Minister has since clarified that the 6 day licenses are renewable and American hunters can stay as long as they like. (My question to the Minister in that case would be: What exactly are the new cumbersome rules for then?  How are they going to stop illegal guiding activities if they are infinitely renewable licenses?  Is this just another example of government bureaucracy run a muck - rules for the sake of rules?  What exactly do the regulations do?  If an American hunter was already caught and prosecuted before these rules came into effect, than what is the purpose of these rules?)

Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. American hunters come to Alberta to hunt, spend a lot of money on hotels, food, supplies, and so on, and are a boon to many small communities who count on those hunters and their money that they spend. Now, those hunters, at least the ones that come to my constituency, are crossing the border to hunt in Saskatchewan, and their money is going with them. Does the minister understand the negative impact this policy is having on eastern Alberta border communities?

Dr. Morton: Yes. Mr. Speaker, we do understand the economic
value of hunting to rural Alberta, and we want to encourage it. But we're concerned about a new trend in what we believe to be rogue guides, who are nonresident aliens who come in, pretend they're hunters, but they're actually guides. Instead of spending two or three weeks here, they spend two or three months here, supposedly hunting with their friends, who, in fact, are paying clients. That's against the laws of Alberta. The only paid guiding in Alberta are resident Albertans. I'm happy to report that just last month we

Alberta Hansard May 31, 2007 1446

achieved a conviction of $ 25,000 and a lifetime ban from ever hunting in Alberta again for somebody who was found guilty of doing just this.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that laws made to stop a few people who are breaking off and have impact on large numbers of groups who did nothing wrong, will the minister
consider changing the regulations and perhaps do some advertising to bring back the hunters to eastern Alberta to help those communi-ties that have been hit hard by the policies of the department?

Dr. Morton: Mr. Speaker, at this time we're not prepared to change the regulation, but I do want to assure the hon. Member for Battle River-
Wainwright that we do and will support hunting tourism. Just in the last two weeks we met with Alberta Tourism to encourage greater exposure of hunting in their facilities. We'll be coming forward with a new website, a licensing website, in the next about 18 months which will feature those types of hunting opportunities on the Internet, and we'll also be working to add hunting tourism to the rural development strategy.
Thank you.