The Quebec government should authorize the killing of more than 500 white-tailed deer in two national parks in the Montreal region, we have learned The duty. The objective is to substantially reduce livestock populations, which threaten the biodiversity of these natural environments, but the recovered meat will also be distributed to people in need.
The Îles-de-Boucherville National Park is facing an increasingly severe problem of deer overpopulation. According to the most recent data from the Société des establishments de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ), last winter there were at least 40 animals per square kilometer, or eight times the capacity of the ecosystem. Overpopulation is also increasingly problematic in Mont-Saint-Bruno Park, where there are five times too many deer.
SEPAQ therefore intends to take advantage of the regulations which come into force on Thursday and which now allow the use of a “weapon” for the “control” of animal populations in national parks.
According to information obtained by The duty, the state company wishes to obtain the right to slaughter a total of 500 deer out of the approximately 660 excess animals found today in the two national parks. A figure which could also be higher, since the most recent inventory was carried out before the last birthing season.
“Ultimately, we would like to approach the optimal density of five deer per square kilometer. But it is not possible to achieve this in one year or one operation,” explains SEPAQ spokesperson Simon Boivin, emphasizing that future operations could be spread over a few years.
The objective, he specifies, is to reduce the “threat” that this overabundance of deer represents for the biodiversity of “these natural jewels close to urban environments”. Excessive grazing by deer destroys vegetation and prevents its regeneration. The reduction in food at the Îles-de-Boucherville park also causes deer deaths every winter, while others have already left the park to go to residential areas of Boucherville.
Meat distributed
To reduce the pressure on ecosystems, “the lethal method is the method that was chosen”, since it allows in particular “rapid death”, explains Mr. Boivin. This method has also been used elsewhere in Canada and the United States. A Quebec firm will therefore be hired to carry out “a control operation carried out by precision shooting” with a firearm.
SEPAQ anticipates that males, females and young deer will be killed in this way. “The objective is to make the operation as efficient as possible to avoid additional work in the years to come,” indicates its spokesperson.
The meat from the animals will be recovered and then distributed to people in need through the Generous Hunters meat donation program. This organization does business with a network of butchers to prepare game meat.
Simon Boivin cannot, however, specify whether some of this meat could end up on tables during this year’s holiday season. Operations are indeed planned “before the end of winter” next year, but SEPAQ refuses to give further details.
We want to do this over the coming months, at the time that is deemed most appropriate. But we will not give details on the time, dates and duration of the interventions. We want to prevent the event from arousing curiosity, from people coming to witness the operations or from putting their safety at risk.
“We want to do it over the coming months, at the time that is deemed most appropriate. But we will not give details on the time, dates and duration of the interventions. We want to prevent the event from arousing curiosity, from people coming to witness the operations or from putting their safety at risk,” explains Simon Boivin.
“Sensitivity”
Do we fear an outcry among animal activists, like the saga caused in 2020 in Longueuil by the planned slaughter of around 60 deer in Michel-Chartrand Park?
“There are people for whom there is a certain sensitivity,” admits the SEPAQ spokesperson. But with the debate of recent years, there is a better understanding of the situation and the fact that the measure is not against deer, but for the protection of natural environments. If nothing is done, there will be no regeneration of the flora. Several wildlife species suffer, including deer, because they die of starvation in the spring. »
In the case of Longueuil, activists made death threats to elected officials and a legal saga delayed the killing of the deer. The City finally won its case in court this year and it will be able to move forward. But according to data provided on Wednesday, there are today at least 100 excess deer at Michel-Chartrand Park, and no longer 60 as in 2020.