 | Alberta’s largest conservation group, the Alberta Fish & Game Association (AFGA), is appalled that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is giving the Canadian Cervid Alliance more than $1,000,000 to support a dying game farm industry as announced by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in Lloydminster on April 8.
Game farms have been linked to the introduction and spreading of chronic wasting disease (CWD), the highly contagious ungulate equivalent of mad cow, which infects deer and elk and continues to spread throughout North America. This occurs between wild animals and game farm animals through escapes, release of captive animals, as well as nose to nose contact through fences. The potential devastation from disease transfer from game farm animals to wild populations could have a major impact on Canada’s wildlife.
Tuberculosis is also an added concern as there was a large breakout of this in the 1990’s among farmed elk.
“While other jurisdictions such as Montana, Wyoming and Tennessee are either attempting to, or have eliminated game farms it makes absolutely no sense that Canada supports them at the cost of the taxpayer,” said Quentin Bochar, AFGA President.
He went on to encourage all AFGA members to get in contact with their local MPs to express their dissatisfaction of this waste of money.
The Alberta Fish and Game Association is a not-for-profit volunteer organization proud to serve Albertans in the promotion of the wise use of our fish and wildlife resources and the conservation of their habitats. The AFGA has been active since 1908 in working towards these goals and has a province-wide membership of more than 19,500 individuals spread among 100+ Clubs.
Link to MP contact info:
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CONTACT: Quentin Bochar, President, (780) 939-3914 or (780)-719-6557
Martin Sharren, Executive Vice President, (780) 437-2342 |
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