A private members’ bill that detractors say could spell an end to fishing and hunting in Canada has drawn outrage of local guides, conservation groups and members of Parliament.
Bill C-246, known as the Modernizing Animal Protections Act, was introduced in February by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith of Beaches-East York in Toronto.
It received second reading last month and is due for its first hour of debate in Parliament within the next few weeks.
Ostensibly introduced to impose a ban on the import of dog and cat fur and the practices of ‘shark-finning’ (in which shark fins are removed and the rest of the animal discarded), other parts of the legislation are causing concern.
Section 182.1 of the bill states (1) Everyone commits an offence who, wilfully or recklessly,
(a) causes or, being the owner, permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal;
(b) kills an animal or, being the owner, permits an animal to be killed, brutally or viciously, regardless of whether the animal dies immediately.”
Chatham-Kent-Essex MP Dave Van Kesteren said “the trouble (with the bill) is that the terms are so broad as to invite problems,” he said. “Hunting and fishing would be out of the question but so would any farming operation involving animals. It could even impact pet ownership or anyone interacting with animals.”
Van Kesteren said there numerous laws in place protecting animals and if there were a flaw or omission in a particular area, the correct approach would be to identify that and correct it.
“I don’t believe this was introduced in any malicious manner but it is certainly naïve to expect Canadians to forfeit their heritage and perfectly legal and sustainable animal usage practices,” he said.
Shawn Miller, president of the Kent Cloverleaf Conservation Club, said he’d like to see a meeting of local conservation groups on the subject and is trying to arrange one.
“What I’ve seen really concerns me but this has flown under the radar for a lot of us,” he said. “We want to make sure our voices are heard.”
Chris Benn of Crooked Hook Charters in the former Dover Twp., said, “I’m not sure how this bill will make any positive impact on our natural resources.
Chatham Mazda from Chatham Voice on Vimeo.
We have wildlife regulations in place already that may or may not be perfect but stopping all hunting and fishing is just totally un-Canadian. If this bill passes it could possibly strip Canadians of our oldest heritage.
What’s more Canadian then fishing and hunting?”
Greg Farrant, Manager of Government Affairs and Policy for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, called the bill “the worst I’ve seen” in his 17 years at his post.
“People absolutely need to be concerned about this bill becoming law,” he said. “I’ve seen 19 bills come before the house in the area of animal protection and this is the worst in terms of completely changing the fabric of Canada.”
He said the bill confers “human rights status” to animals.
“I can’t stress enough that we have protection already defined in law, regulated federally and provincially in the Criminal Code. Exemptions for lawful activity would be removed if this bill became law; there is no need for this bill whatsoever. If we want to address dog and cat fur issues, then do that.”
Rob Stanley, a hunting and fishing guide on Mitchell’s Bay area for more than 30 years said the bill is “beyond stupid.”
“I’m sure there are some people who think this is great but if it comes through, say goodbye to a good chunk of our heritage and way of life. I suppose we can all become vegetarians overnight.”
Stanley said, “outdoorsmen are the biggest conservationists we have. We want to continue to hunt and fish so most of us use the resources wisely so it is renewable. We’re also the ones who pour millions into habitat.”
Farrant said it is his group’s hope the bill won’t make it to committee.
“I’m hearing members of the Liberal caucus are waking up to the potential problems with this bill and it may be losing support. It’s so badly flawed it doesn’t really even deserve House time.”
He said the economic arguments alone should kill the bill.
“The livestock and poultry industry has a $23 billion value, sport and commercial fishing is another $18 billion dollars plus,” he said. “Not only is it poorly formulated from a social argument, but economically speaking, it would be a disaster.”
He said the OFAH has supported bills that provided increased protection for animals as well as penalties for offenders in the past.
“This isn’t about protection of animal rights, it’s the decimation of our rights as Canadians. Everything from Halal and Kosher food preparation to exhibitions of animals at fairs to medical research involving animals could become illegal.”
Good luck stopping me
They just want war in Canada eh as if they haven't stripped use from enough wright's already….
This bill needs to be more specific. As it stands it needs to be eliminated.
You do realize they're not ending hunting right? They're ending shark "finning" and closing the loopholes around dog fighting rings. Sending those convicted to prison longer… IF YOU ACTUALLY READ THE BILL, you might not be against it…. https://openparliament.ca/bills/42-1/C-246/
If this does not end our hunting rights why in section 182.5 do theysay this will not affect aboriginal rights. All this is going to take is some bleeding heart animal activist to start whining like they always do and all the hunters in the whole damn country will be criminals again.
i honestly think this should pass on the count of hunters dont care about no hunting sines or no truspassing sines there just woried about killing something for what? fun? IF they alow any hunting it should be on your own property! if you dont got property to hunt on to dam bad go get some. all im saying is hunters have NO!! respect for others land!!
William and Anthony are obviously lieberals that have never hunted or fished in order to feed their family. Not everyone is middle class and can afford to buy all of their food in a grocery store. A lot of people need to hunt or fish so that they have food to eat. That is how low income families survive and this bill may be responsible for many fathers being unable to properly feed their families.
Natives are not allowed to hunt and fish on OUR OWN LAND.Why should you?
Another smart idea from the. Liberals. O. Yes. They. Want to. Do. Away. With. Hunting and. Fishing. But. Make. Dope. Legal. A. Very smart party we have in power
Guess playing video games is better than being outdoors!!! Our poor children !!!! MORONS IS WHAT I SAY!!!
Really? ALL hunters have no respect for others land? thats a pretty bold/broad statement. i can easily reply with, and I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you dirt bike, and say that all dirt bikers have no respect for others land. i know many and have seen many dirt bikers that trespass and vanadalize property, look it up on youtube if you want as well. for every group, whether its hunting or dirt biking, there's a few members that make the whole look bad. and the 'Just worried about killing something' statement is pathetic. we go out and hunt to put food in the freezer. the entire process is work. go out and scout for a few days before you hunt, waking up at 3am, be on the water or in the bush before light, hope your target comes out after you set up to a100+ decoy spread (if you duck hunt), or if you deer hunt your season could start in the spring/summer with what you decide to plant in the field, hope you hit it, and if you do, clean it and prepare for the freezer/table. what do you dirt bike for? fun?
Grant Dean you may play by the book down in windsor but up hear in chatham kent we get potchers hunters shooting from there trucks hurnts and there dogs running land they dont have permishion on and i have also seen them line up in front of a bush well there buddys pushed what ever was in the bush out to the feald so they can kill it. and on top of that i dont think it should be legal to bate a tree stand weres the sportsmen ship in that? Any hunter iv have talked to dont care about no tresspassing signs if there game went on the property its ok to fallow? no its not not if you dont have permishion to be on that land. as for the dirtbike coment yes some do trespass but in them youtube videos you talk about its mostly kids under 16 trespassing and vandalising i have seen them my self and shook my head in shame because of them but were talking about adults hear and chatham kent not the youtubs. IF you read the coments your fellow hunters have posted hear you would understand what im talking about with my comment. Your one hunter friend says "Good luck stopping me" thats were my "just woried about killing something" statement dont seem soo pathetic to me.
It figures this bill was written by someone from deep inside toronto. These people most likely think a steak is made at loblaws or something. I have no doubt this poor excuse for an mp had every intention of wanting to stop hunting and animal farming. Global warming dontcha know!
dont bring politic B.S. up just becaus your mad at something i said. i have a strong opinion on what i have seen from the hunting comunity in my area. i know there is some people that play by the books but its not right just to walk on to someones property with out permishion and start shooting and or because your game went on another property so you need to feed your famaly. I do not have a problem with hunting just a think it should be done right or not at all. Also i never said a thing about fishing just hunting.
this is a bill so animals can rule over use
think bear comes to eat you you can't kill it cause that would cause it harm/pain
sad bill to me. down with the bloody red bill
It's to ban the importation of fins. I realize Canada is a landlocked nation. But I'm sure there are oceans on the East and West coasts.
Anthony Stranak I'm from Chatham kent. I'm talking about chathm-kent. and no, they're not "mostly under 16", clearly you don't get out much. but you don't need to explain to me what it is like there. everything you just stated happens everywhere. whether its in windsor or in chatham-kent. and the point of lining out in front of a bush to "kill" whatever comes out is for the point of eating it. kind of hard to eat something that is still kicking and breathing don't you think? oh, and they're deer hunting by the way, not killing "whatever" comes out. so why is that when a hunter is caught trespassing on land it's awful and we should make hunting illegal, but when a dirt biker does it he just gets a 'head shake' from you then everyone moves on? I'm pretty sure the same law was broken in both situations. so a person on a walk trespasses through a private bush. should walking become illegal? kind of a double standard to me. it almost sounds like if you're a dirt biker you should only be allowed to dirt bike on your own land, and if you don't have any, then too damn bad, go gets some. also, maybe if what you enjoyed, grew up doing, was apart of your family history and values, etc. was on the line for becoming illegal you'd probably have the same comments as others have made on this post.
That's the trouble with people who blindly support this type of knee-jerk,feel-good legislation. You don't get that there's enough willful naivete of collateral damage should it pass the to completely destroy an established way of life dating back to when man walked upright on this planet. This "bill" is so badly flawed that the only place for it is in the trash.
This loosely written garbage should not be supported. This would make homesteading and raising meat for your self to become illegal! Think about where your meat comes from, whether it be having the right to hunt or fish, or to raise animals to feed your family. We are all so disconnected from where our food comes from. Everyone needs to open their eyes. Rights are slowly being taken away from us.
You guys are messed…. the law that names “animals“ has been in place for years. They are amending it to add the harsher penalties and shark finning. But becuse it says “animals“ and has for 50 years you guys ge all up in arms. I laugh at that, cause it is hilarious.
Thank God, animals have more right on this planet than we do. they are the balance of nature..it's stupid humans who have messed everything up! Trappers should be trapped like the animals they torture. Anyone who abuses, tortures, kills an innocent animal..and they are all innocent…needs to be punished in the same way. I love animals…tolerate some humans if i have to.
Finally someone with a heart and who obviously knows some ignorant assholes who kill innocent animals. thank you
Try vegetables and fruits…they are good and good for you too
Anthony Stranak 😀
We will have to inport all meat and fish from China
and another question. what contributions to wildlife mnagement/conservation do you make?
Dawn Bryson Phippen growing children need protein which is very difficult to get in vegetables and fruits. Doctors do not recommend young children eating only a vegan diet.
As far as I read in the article, nowhere does it say you can't hunt or kill your own animal unless you do it " brutally or viciously". A quick death by needle or bullet is still allowed. If you take it that you can't hunt, then you'd also have to take it that you can't take your own pet to the Vet to be put to sleep.
Good luck stopping me !!! I've been fishing my whole life and I'm not about to stop. Never mind the moose, deer, bear and grouse hunting I participate in every year.