Perhaps if consumers had to pay a fee to help farmers recoup they would see things differently
To the Expositor:
This is a letter to those opposed to farmers who are trying to manage the exploding populations of wildlife, which are destroying crops and livestock.
Canada geese were very rare on the Manitoulin when I was growing up. They rarely stopped here on their migratory routes and never stayed here in the summer. Now they are hatching in most lakes, swamps and wherever there is water around. They have closed down many beaches and are messing up lawns and parks, which people like to use and enjoy.
Sandhill cranes were unheard of here and now look at the crops they destroy. In my younger years, raccoons were never seen here. As farmers know they are very destructive to crops. Bears were also rare here, but with the help of MNRF relocating nuisance bears to the Island in the past their population has flourished. They destroy crops and kill and maim livestock.
If our governments sit back and do nothing, with these wildlife population explosions, where is our food going to come from in the future when all crops are destroyed? Farmers invest a lot of time and money putting these crops in the ground and to have them destroyed by wildlife is very disheartening and costly. Insurances never cover the total loss of crops in the ground. Perhaps if consumers had to pay a fee to help farmers recoup some of their losses they would have a different understanding of this issue. Remember what cormorants did to our fish populations, which are slowly recovering.
Food for thought!
Dale Wood
Sheguiandah
