A 400-Pound Grizzly bear was shot and killled by conservation officers in Port Edward this past weekend. The bear had become a problem bear after it continued to frequent backyards and for a number of days in a row, a local boat launch. Conservation officers say some fisherman ignored signs telling the public to dump fish waste into deeper water resulting in the animal being put down. It's one thing for eagles to feed on fish carcasses and offal, but when that waste starts attracting a grizzly bear,the alarm on safety is sounded. Conservaton officers say grizzlies aren't as likely to eneter bear traps, and after determining that the bear couldn't be rehabilitated since it showed no fear of humans,they were left with only one alternative, to kill it. Unfortunately the destruction of this bear was preventable. If a handful of fisherman had been more responsible with their actions at the cleaning station.
"Well the thing is, they would clean their fish and of course they would take the rest of the carcass that was left an just throw it over the bank and this is what caused the trouble. It has been concern and we didn't know what to do with the table and we decided we have to take it out till we come to a solution but we really do want to have this here for the sports fisherman to be able to clean their catch but at the same time they have to be a little more responsible in getting rid of the carcass because here we put down and an animal that nobody wanted to see happen" Said Dave MacDonald, Port Edward's Mayor.
"What a sight... we watched him come down, wonder down the rocks and there was a carcass of a 300 lb halibut down there. He was here three mornings in a row cleaning it up like we expected to see him each day and one day we came down and there's the conservation officer and a mountie..and...oh well.." Peter Watson a local contract packer sadly remarked looking down at where the mature male bear lay dead just days earlier.
MacDonald says it's the actions of a few not the majority that led to the demise of the creature. Council has considered putting a table near the water so the waste is carried out farther but nothing is certain yet.
"If they had left the table here to perpetrate the same thing again, then it would have been a horrific thing to do to the animal and then leave the reason why they did it. So yeah i'm glad to see it gone for that case but the guys sports fishing I guess they have a loss you know" Said Watson of the table that was removed from the site.
MacDonald says he thinks it will be closer to the Fall when Council decides where it's going to put another fish cleaning station. In the meantime he's asking all sports fisherman to learn from this mistake so another bear doesn't have to lose its life.
Sahar Nassimdoost
