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Province releases results of Game Sanctuary review

February 23, 2006

After more than a year the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources has released the results of a public review of Game Sanctuaries and Wildlife management areas in Nova Scotia. In it the department concludes that "Nova Scotians want more wildlife management areas and improved habitat protection in the currently designated areas". Despite this, the department has not upgraded any of the 13 sanctuaries scheduled for de-listing to full protected areas status, a major disappointment to wildlife conservation groups and citizens from across the province. Instead the department says they will further review existing regulations to ensure proper measures are in place".

Conservation groups point out that the big problem with the Game Sanctuaries is that they protect wildlife but not their habitat. They are simply areas where hunting and trapping are banned but are open to the full range of development and resource extraction activities including clearcut logging, road building and mining. Although over-hunting may have once been a problem, nowadays the major threat to wildlife is not hunting but rather loss of habitat.

Rather than continue with the toothless no-hunting designation, the NSPLC is recommending that three important areas be up-graded to protect the habitat. The coalition is recommending that Liscomb and Chignecto Game Sanctuaries be changed to protected wilderness areas, where commercial forestry and mining are prohibited. We would also like to see the Blandford Game Sanctuary up-graded into a nature reserve.

Ironically hunting, fishing and trapping is permitted in protected wilderness areas but industrial development is strictly prohibited.