N.L. reinstates rule allowing farmers to shoot problem moose at night
Two years after Newfoundland and Labrador banned farmers from shooting problem moose at night, it has reversed course and reinstated special permits in order to do so.
The Department of Fisheries and Land Resources announced the changes to provincial wildlife regulations Thursday, saying in a news release the permits were developed after extensive consultation with farmers and the public.
Those consultations came after a wave of criticism from farmers on the island during the 2019 harvest.
Farmers told CBC that moose were decimating their vegetable fields, and when they went to apply for permits to hunt them at night — the prime crop-nibbling time for moose — they were taken aback to find the permits had been discontinued.
The province had in fact changed the legislation in 2018 to ban night hunting, with the Fisheries and Land Resources Minister Gerry Byrne stating it was done for safety reasons.
The matter also came up in the House of Assembly on Nov. 7 when Byrne suggested PC MHA Jim Lester, a farmer, condoned poaching when Lester asked about a farmer being charged for shooting a moose at night.
Byrne was reprimanded for his comments, and withdrew them a few days later.
Farmers can now obtain the hunting permits by contacting their local agricultural development officer.
The Department of Fisheries and Resources says issuing such permits will also include measures such as farmers protecting their crops with other, non-lethal methods, and completing safety training.
