PROVIDENCE BAY—While it may not prove fruitful for Manitoulin Island farmers in the short term, farmers on the Island whose crops have been destroyed by Sandhill cranes and Canada geese are being encouraged to contact a representative of the Canadian Wildlife Services (CWS) about their concerns, as they may be in the position to lobby for help for farmers.
Mac Emiry told members of the Manitoulin-North Shore Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) at its annual meeting last Friday in Providence Bay “the motion (this group) had passed concerning compensation being by the government for farmers who suffered losses of crops and livestock due to predators was brought up at the annual (OFA) convention. I think it (motion) was passed at convention level for compensation and the OFA forwarded it to the Ontario Wildlife Conflict Group.”
However, “it seems as if this is as far as it went and there has been no reply back on this,” stated Green Bay farmer Paul Skippen, “but it is something that we should be doing something about.”
“I would like to give the meeting a little background on what (fellow Green Bay) Bruce (Wood) and I have been up to,” said Mr. Skippen. “Bruce and I were part of a delegation from NEMI (Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands) that were to speak with the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry (MMAH) at the AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) annual meeting earlier this year. Unfortunately, we were unable to speak to the minister, but did have a chance to talk to the deputy minister about the problem we have with Sandhill cranes and geese and crop damages and our wanting compensation for these losses. The deputy minister said he understands the problem, as he is part of a farming family in Ottawa and they have suffered crop losses as well.”
“The deputy minister said there is no way the season for geese can be changed unless Canada, the US and Mexico go back to the table and agree to a change in the seasons that had been passed about 36 years ago,” said Mr. Skippen. “One thing that came out of the meeting is that he encouraged us to contact Chris Sharp of Canadian Wildlife Services on our issues.”
“Mr. Sharp is a population management biologist with the CWS,” said Mr. Skippen. “In talking to him he seems to be a big supporter of our concerns and seems to understand our problems and said he will try to do whatever he can to help in terms of possible compensation being provided (from a government source).”
Mr. Skippen pointed out, “one of our biggest problems with a possible hunt season taking place on Sandhill cranes is because one of our environmental groups on Manitoulin Island, the Manitoulin Nature Club, refuse to provide numbers on population counts they do of them (Sandhill cranes) to CWS if it leads to any type of hunt on Manitoulin Island. They are basically campaigning to stop any type of hunt take place on the Island.”
Mr. Skippen said Mr. Sharp is encouraging local farmers to forward him any kind of documentation and photographs of damage done to crops by Sandhill cranes and geese on the Island. He can be contacted at christopher.sharp@canada.ca
“It is the same with the (OFA) northern federation,” said Jim Anstice. “They want pictures and documentation of farmers crops being damaged. And years ago we had called for a
“Anything we told Northern Federation, we’ve told they want pictures, documentation of farmers crop losses,” said Jim Anstice. “People need to know and understand the problems we are having as farmers all of these crop and livestock losses are on our back-we pay for it. I know I don’t have time to shoot or chase these birds off my farm.” He encouraged local farmers to get in touch with Island Ag officer Brian Bell with documentation photographs of crop losses.
As for compensation, “the people I talk to with OFA say the government will never come up with compensation for farmers, because there is never going to be enough money in the government budgets.”
“This is just going to be an ongoing problem for farmers,” added Mr. Anstice.
