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Safari Club International celebrates the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) science-based decision to approve the first legal, highly regulated black bear hunt in the Sunshine State in a decade. This is a major victory for hunters and conservationists. The FWC is authorizing 187 black bear tags to be distributed by lottery this December to hunters who apply in four scientifically identified bear management units.
Following a contentious – albeit misinformed – statewide debate, legal, regulated black bear hunting will officially return to Florida. Safari Club International thanks FWC Chair Rodney Barreto and the other members of the Commission for not bending to the ill-informed and emotionally driven objections to the hunt; instead, looking at the undeniable bear population statistics provided by the technical experts at the FWC and the proven success of hunting in managing bear populations. The FWC has estimated that there are more than 4,000 bears within the state, and their population continues to expand. The range of black bears in Florida has tripled over the last twenty years to cover over 50% of the state.
This summer's fatal bear attack clearly demonstrated the reality that bear population numbers need to be managed if people expect to safely walk their dogs and take out the trash in areas with a high concentration of black bears. With careful scientific study, the FWC pinpointed four bear management units with unsustainable population growth and created a hunt plan that allocates a population-adjusted number of tags for each zone. This plan provides FWC with a very precise method to slow population growth while ensuring population sustainability.
SCI would like to acknowledge the Commission’s leadership and FWC scientists' proven research to ensure that this year's hunt will be conservative and conducted with precision. SCI has been a vocal advocate of the hunting season for Floridians, consistent with its leadership on conservation issues around the globe.
"The FWC's decision today is a remarkable step forward for Floridians and Florida's wildlife alike," said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. "Safari Club International has been a proud supporter of hunters, sportsmen, and conservation, and we thank FWC Chair Rodney Barreto and the other members of the Commission for making this much-needed hunting season a reality.”
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