Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we’ve indicated right from the start, there’s a whole number of factors that have affected the Bathurst herd. It exists in the most heavily populated part of the Territory. There are extensive road networks now where there never used to be. There are hunting pressures. There is resource development. There are climate change issues. These have all combined to affect things like the general health of the animals, the calf survival rate, the birthrate of calves and how many do survive. There are predation impacts as well. When you combine them all together and when they’re already on a downward trend dating back to the 1980s, those factors continue to have a greater and greater impact. For example, when you’re down to 30,000 animals and you’re taking normally 7,000 to 10,000 animals out of the herd a year, that hunting pressure alone over the course of three years would pretty well put an end to the herd. There’s a whole number of factors. It’s very complex but those are some of the factors.
Michael Miltenberger on Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on February 16th, 2010. See this statement in context.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
February 15th, 2010
See context to find out what was said next.