Yesterday, retired MNR biologist Gord Eason passed away.
Gord was my friend and neighbour who was instrumental in establishing the caribou population on Michipicoten Island in the late 80s, and instrumental in trying to save them as they were being wiped out a couple of years ago:
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news...nd-caribou-rescue-along-lake-superior-3289136
If not for his efforts, no caribou would have been saved.
The MNR absolutely failed to do anything to protect the caribou herd on the island when wolves established themselves there. Gord and I had many talks and he pegged it to within a month to when they would be wiped out. MNR actually worked to protect the wolves while allowing the caribou to be decimated, and thwarted all efforts that Gord and the local first nation did to try and protect the herd. If not for their efforts, no caribou would have been transferred by the MNR to Caribou island which is privately owned. This was covered in these forum threads:
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...reaucratic-politically-correct-idiocy-Part-2?
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...e-of-beaurocratic-politically-correct-idiocy?
The lead article in yesterday's Thunder Bay news was a conference with community leaders on a federal order to MNR to create a caribou protection plan. Michipicoten Island was a classic case of mismanagement and the federal government has every right to order the MNR to create a protection plan. By protecting the herd on the island, the MNR would have met some of that plan without any consequences for other species such as moose or the forest / mining community.
It is unfortunate that Gord is no longer available to comment on the story, as he would have been a wealth of knowledge for a follow up.
Gord was my friend and neighbour who was instrumental in establishing the caribou population on Michipicoten Island in the late 80s, and instrumental in trying to save them as they were being wiped out a couple of years ago:
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news...nd-caribou-rescue-along-lake-superior-3289136
If not for his efforts, no caribou would have been saved.
The MNR absolutely failed to do anything to protect the caribou herd on the island when wolves established themselves there. Gord and I had many talks and he pegged it to within a month to when they would be wiped out. MNR actually worked to protect the wolves while allowing the caribou to be decimated, and thwarted all efforts that Gord and the local first nation did to try and protect the herd. If not for their efforts, no caribou would have been transferred by the MNR to Caribou island which is privately owned. This was covered in these forum threads:
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...reaucratic-politically-correct-idiocy-Part-2?
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...e-of-beaurocratic-politically-correct-idiocy?
The lead article in yesterday's Thunder Bay news was a conference with community leaders on a federal order to MNR to create a caribou protection plan. Michipicoten Island was a classic case of mismanagement and the federal government has every right to order the MNR to create a protection plan. By protecting the herd on the island, the MNR would have met some of that plan without any consequences for other species such as moose or the forest / mining community.
It is unfortunate that Gord is no longer available to comment on the story, as he would have been a wealth of knowledge for a follow up.
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