When wildlife consume 25 percent of the crops farming becomes unsustainable
To the Expositor:
As a farmer who resides on Manitoulin Island, I would like to set the record straight by correcting the misinformation reported in a letter in the Manitoulin Expositor on February 14 (‘Conservationist alarmed by proposed Sandhill crane hunt’ Page 4). Many farmers have been hoping for a reduction in the numbers of Sandhill cranes and Canada geese. Farmers are acting as conservationists and environmentalists. Our livelihood depends on this fact. Farmers are the stewards of the land and feed the masses of wild animals and birds and the non-farming population. When the number of wildlife becomes so large that over 25 percent of a crop can be destroyed something has to be done to stop this problem. To quote Chris Sharp, a biologist who completed a research project on Manitoulin and North Shore reporting about the destruction of crops by Sandhill cranes, the article posted by the CBC on Sept 18, 2020, not only called the Sandhill cranes a nuisance, he wrote that they are a little like velociraptors running around in the fields eating grains. Many farmers here have tried everything recommended to deter the birds from destroying the cereal crops and potatoes. Quoting Sharp in the article, “the birds tend to congregate in the spring just after the crops are planted and will pick out the new seeds or the newly emerging shoots.” He also stated that they are congregating in areas like Timmins, New Liskeard, Matheson and Manitoulin all the way to Quebec. When the cranes are in standing cereal crops, they also trample a lot of the crop. In my opinion, the destruction is worse after a rain or a wet spring. It is also my understanding these birds can eat their weight in food each day. Could these birds be classed as an invasive species? My father is eighty-nine. Neither of us can remember seeing the Sandhill cranes before 10 years ago. It would be worth looking into the history in this area to see if the Sandhill cranes are or could be classed as an invasive species. A possibility other than a hunt could be for these organized conservationists to come and investigate the spring damage and again at fall harvest times. This could be educational for the so-called environmentalists and would give them the opportunity to fairly compensate farmers for the destruction. Don’t believe farmers want to waste time hunting these birds. Until fair compensation is forthcoming, I support the fall hunt and would put forward a request for a spring hunt starting as soon as possible.
Self-proclaimed Environmentalist,
Paul Skippen
Green Bay
