I’ve got good news, better news and bad news, folks. The good news is that yesterday a book launched that will change minds, hearts and lives around the world. The better news is that Jo-Anne McArthur, co-editor of this book, took time out of an incredibly busy schedule this morning to chat with me about it. The bad news is that, because it’s 2020, the recording software I use didn’t record my side of our conversation. Which, for many, may be the best news of all.

Let’s start at the beginning. Hidden: Animals in the Anthropocene by Jo-Anne McArthur and Keith Wilson, with a Foreword by Joaquin Phoenix, is now available.

A short synopsis from the book’s media kit:

HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene is an unflinching book of photography documenting our relationship with non-human animals in the 21st Century. It focuses on the invisible animals in our lives: those with whom we have a close relationship and yet fail to see. They are the animals we eat and the animals we wear. They are the animals used in research and for entertainment, as well as the animals we sacrifice in the name of tradition and religion.

HIDDEN includes the work of a global community of photographers, 40 of the world’s best animal photojournalists who work globally to investigate, document, and expose animal use. 

I spent a few hours flipping through my review copy, experiencing the images and reading the accompanying essays, facts and contextual copy. My review can be broken down to two sentences: Hidden is the heart-wrenching documentation of the unnatural things we’ve done to this planet and its inhabitants. We can only hope that this clear story – one that shows truth without apology or hyperbole – is enough to help us change our ways.

Jo-Anne, founder of We Animals, joined me for a conversation about the new book; but as I noted, an error in my recording software kept only Jo-Anne’s part of that conversation.

I spent about an hour and a half trying to reverse engineer my questions (I keep notes, not fully written questions) before realizing that there’s ethical implications behind that I’m not comfortable with and it would likely just sound weird. As such, I’m presenting Jo-Anne’s answers, again the important part, with simple subject prompts from me.

I apologize to listeners and Jo-Anne for this issue, though I think Jo-Anne’s own interview skills really shine as a result.

This episode is brought to you by AnimalStone.com. Use promocode DEFENDERRADIO to get 10% off your order at AnimalStone.com!

Get Hidden at WeAnimalsMedia.org's shop: https://weanimalsmedia.org/our-work/buy-books-and-prints/

Get Hidden on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Animals-Anthropocene-Jo-Anne-McArthur/dp/1590566386/

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A lot of animals are tested upon and killed in the name of science, particularly biomedical research. In conversation, many people adopt a utilitarian attitude – the lives and deaths of these non-human animals is to benefit human health, an acceptable trade off.

But what if it wasn’t benefiting human health – and what if, before the experiments even began, there was a solid chance the research would never, ever have human applications?

Those are some of the questions being posed by the Center for Contemporary Sciences, a new organization that is, quote, “pioneering a paradigm shift towards innovative, evidence-based research methods that are based on human biology. Through collaboration, we champion technologies that are better for humans and that replace animal testing.”

Dr. Jarrod Bailey, Director of Science and Technology at the Center for Contemporary Sciences, joined Defender Radio to discuss the current state of animal testing and why it continues to fail, the results of a just published paper following up on so-called breakthroughs using animal testing in decades past, and we even get into the use of squalene in COVID vaccinations and animals being tested on during a pandemic.

Some of the content of this episode may be upsetting to listeners as we discuss animal testing; if you’d like to learn more about the work of the CCS without listening, please visit contemporarysciences.org.

Center for Contemporary Sciences: https://contemporarysciences.org/

Clinical impact of high-profile animal-based research reported in the UK national press (study):  https://openscience.bmj.com/content/4/1/e100039

Coronavirus Vaccine Makers Are Not Mass-Slaughtering Sharks (NY Times article): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/science/sharks-vaccines-covid-squalene.html

Anthrozoology is a fascinating field of study – simply put, it examines the interactions between humans and other animals. This is a broad concept, which is why so many fields overlap with it: anthropology, biology, philosophy, psychology and more.

To me, the concept of combining these fields is daunting and intimidating; but thanks to many dedicated and passionate anthrozoologists, I’ve found the journals and discussions more approachable than many other, more specific disciplines. Among the dedicated and passionate are three University of Exeter students who love the field of study so much and see such potential for it that they started a podcast!

The Anthrozoology Podcast is hosted by University of Exeter PhD students Sarah Oxley Heaney and Kris Hill, along with PhD candidate Michelle Szydlowski. The trio of anthrozoologists have arrived at Exeter’s program from different places (both literally and figuratively, as we scheduled this group call across three different time zones) and with different specific interests. But it takes only the briefest moment of conversation to understand what drew them together – shared passion, dedication and excitement for doing more for humanity, non-human animals and the planet.

Their new podcast, The Anthrozoology Podcast, can be found on YouTube, Spotify and other places podcasts can be heard; to get to know this new show and the people behind it, Michelle, Kris and Sarah joined Defender Radio.

The Anthrozoology Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQVZSokl8e2RVW4JamCkmg

The Anthrozoology Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ExQnaOKCVFnyecPbnFZSn

This episode supported by AnimalStone.com! Use promocode DEFENDERRADIO at checkout for 10% off at www.AnimalStone.com!

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In a world with a 24-hour news cycle, robot trolls on the internet and unprecedented political changes, knowing where we stand on some core issues can be a bit… difficult. Fortunately, there are tools that can cut through the noise and help us find answers to understand where Canadians and Americans stand on animal-related matters.

Mario Canseco, president of Research Co., polled Canadians and Americans on their views regarding eating animals, hunting for meat, trophy hunting, keeping animals in zoos and aquariums and rodeos. Of significance, the survey also found that 81% of Canadians and 75% of Americans oppose killing animals for their fur.

Mario joined Defender Radio to discuss these findings, how surveys can be misused or misinterpreted during elections, and why animal advocates can feel hopeful.

Read the survey, press release and full data set: https://researchco.ca/2020/09/22/canada-us-animals/

This episode was sponsored by www.AnimalStone.com. Use promocode DefenderRadio to get 10% off at www.AnimalStone.com! 

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It’s season eight! We’ve got a lot to catch up on – the pandemic, the outstanding contest, what’s going on with The Fur-Bearers and more – and we will catch up on all of that with a special episode soon. This week I want to dive right into our interview because of the timeliness and need for action on this issue.

Southern Mountain caribou in British Columbia are on the brink of collapse – and despite promises to create endangered species legislation, the last government continued to auction off sections of caribou habitat to logging companies. A cutblock auction is taking place in the Argonaut Creek drainage, which is home to the endangered North Columbia caribou herd.

This news came as a result of an investigation by Wilderness Committee, Echo Conservation Society and Wildsight.

To give us a quick overview of this long-standing issue and what the latest is, as well as how you can take action, Charlotte Dawe from Wilderness Committee joined Defender Radio.

TAKE ACTION: https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/take-action/cancel-caribou-habitat-destruction-argonaut-creek

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This episode sponsored by AnimalStone.com! Get 10% off by using promocode DEFENDERADIO at AnimalStone.com.

Shark Week has come and gone for the year, but your chance to learn and celebrate sharks can go thanks to a new book that brings together academic study and the thrill of learning about the ocean’s great predators.

Shark Biology and Conservation: Essentials for Educators, Students and Enthusiasts is set to publish September 1, 2020 by John Hopkins Press. The title may be dry, but the authors, Drs. Daniel Abel and Dean Grubbs, bring a clear passion and naturalist view of shark biology that encourages curiosity and excitement for readers.

Dr. Grubbs joined Defender Radio and discussed how he and Dr. Abel developed the book to be accessible for most readers, why including scientific information with context was important and the incredible human impact on the hundreds of shark species that inhabit our planet. We also talked about our favourite monster shark movies, which shark is the Labrador retriever of the sea, and the oceanic adventure stories that captured our imaginations. Dr. Grubbs even took the time to give a scientific opinion of my irrational fear (and firm belief) that sharks inhabit Lake Ontario.

This episode is sponsored by AnimalStone.com! Use promocode DEFENDERRADIO for 10% off.

Shark Biology and Conservation: https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/shark-biology-and-conservation

Dr. Dean Grubbs' Florida State University Lab page: https://marinelab.fsu.edu/people/faculty/grubbs/

CONTEST:

1. SHARE a post about or from Defender Radio on any social media platform and let people know WHY you love the episode!

2. SEND a screenshot of the post to me (info@thefurbearers.com)!

3. WIN you may win a free gaiter or facemask from The Fur-Bearers! We'll be in touch with winners the first week of Sepetember.

Wildlife corridors are a great idea: they connect habitats and ecosystems, allowing animals of all types to safely get across roads. As over 20,000 animals are killed, 570 motorists injured and $700,000 spent for clean up of animal-vehicle collisions in BC according to WildlifeCollisions.ca, corridors are also a wise investment.

They come in many shapes and sizes, but generally are under or above ground passages that allow for safe passage where humans travelling at high-speeds represent a risk.

Questions about the efficacy of these corridors are being answered with ongoing research; but one that jumped out at me was the question of how a wildlife corridor impacts predator-prey relationships. There’s a logic to the concern: if a predator figures out that their prey are routinely using a narrow, easy-to-ambush tunnel, they may be able to outwit and negatively impact prey populations.

Of course, the best way to find an answer is to ask a question: and that’s what April Martinig did.

Martinig, a PhD candidate at University of Alberta, was the lead author on a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, titled ‘Temporal clustering of prey in wildlife passages provides no evidence of a prey-trap.’ This study adds to the growing list of benefits of wildlife corridors around the world. To explain why wildlife corridors are great, the lengthy process of reviewing tens of thousands of images from trail cameras, and what insights about predators, prey and their relationships she learned, April Martinig joined Defender Radio.

Want to show the world your love for wildlife? Check out AnimalStone.com, a family-owned business that hand makes animal-inspired jewellery! Available in multiple, ethically-sourced metals, the charms, necklaces, bracelets and cufflinks showcase the personality of each animal. The best part is that through their Wildlife Communities and Ambassador programs, contributions are made to organizations making a real difference in the lives of animals. I really can’t say enough the people behind this company and their mission. To find out more and pick out a gift for a loved one (or yourself, because #selfcare) visit AnimalStone.com – and use promocode DEFENDER RADIO to get 10% off your order! That’s AnimalStone.com and promocode Defender Radio.

The Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-67340-8

Jefferson Salamanders close Burlington Road: https://www.inhalton.com/its-that-time-king-rd-closed-for-salamander-mating-season

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CONTEST

Share your FAVOURITE episode of Defender Radio anywhere on social media; send us a screen grab of the share along with your contact info; one listener will be selected to win a gaiter face mask from The Fur-Bearers! Email your screen grab and info to info@TheFurBearers.com or to any of our social networking channels!

Animal advocacy is a huge community. There’s folks like us at The Fur-Bearers, who focus on wildlife coexistence, habitat issues and a specific commercial issue; there’s groups like Coyote Watch Canada or North Shore Black Bear Society who focus on specific wildlife; then there’s groups who focus on farmed animals, domesticated animals, vegan principles, international policy, local policy and more. In short: it’s a huge community.

As such, when we ask the question, “How ya doing, animal advocates,” the response is a collective blurring of various voices. That is, until, you bring in the researchers.

Faunalytics is a non-profit that does research, maintains a research library and directly supports advocates and organizations. In one of their latest projects, they took on the rather large task of figuring out the experiences of animal advocates in Canada and the United States. This is important work: it creates a reference point for future inquiries, shows advocacy organizations where we must improve, and highlights the absolute need for amplifying the voices of and reach to marginalized groups within the animal advocacy community.

Dr. Jo Anderson, Faunalytics’ research director, joined Defender Radio to explore the study, the need for asking these questions, how to interpret the data and what solutions we can seek to improve the animal advocacy community not just to be successful for the animals, but to be good to each other.

Faunalytics is hosting a Q&A about their study! Get the details and submit questions on their Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/297775314823761/

CONTEST:

Share your FAVOURITE episode of Defender Radio anywhere on social media; send us a screen grab of the share along with your contact info; one listener will be selected to win a gaiter face mask from The Fur-Bearers! Email your screen grab and info to info@TheFurBearers.com or to any of our social networking channels!

LINKS:

The State Of Animal Advocacy In The U.S. & Canada: Experiences & Turnover -- https://faunalytics.org/advocate-retention/

Defender Radio Patreon -- www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio

EMail Updates: https://thefurbearers.com/sign-save-animals

This episode sponsored by AnimalStone.com. Use promocode DEFENDERRADIO to get 10% off!

British Columbia has ordered the killing of hundreds of wolves as part of their caribou recovery plan in recent years. You can hear more about this plan, the maternal penning and ongoing habitat destruction in episodes past. A 2019 study gave scientific support to killing wolves to protect the caribou – despite widespread opposition, it largely became government policy.

But this summer, a new paper was published that not only challenges the first study, but points to multiple flaws that may have contributed to government sanctioned killing of 463 wolves in the last year alone. The new paper, titled No statistical support for wolf control and maternal penning as conservation measures for endangered mountain caribou was published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation. In it, the authors describe the lack of a ‘null model’ in the original paper as a major flaw – as well as a few other issues.

This is a highly politicized issue with many factors; but truly understanding what the missing null model means and how it impacts the rest of the science – and ultimately the government policy – was difficult for me. That’s why I reached out to Amelia Porter.

Amelia is one of The Fur-Bearers science advisors; as a registered professional biologist, Amelia works as an environmental scientist and has the skills – and patience – to break down the complex science of these cull-related studies. She joined Defender Radio to review the two primary studies involved in this latest conversation and why we should be pushing for government to follow the latest science to protect caribou and wolves.

We’ve got one extra bit that didn’t make it into our interview, too, so hang on after the full interview to hear it!

Links:

The Atlantic Article https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/07/how-simple-statistical-error-killed-463-wolves/614134/

Study: The long road to protecting critical habitat for species at risk: The case of southern mountain woodland caribou 

https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.219

Study: Saving endangered species using adaptive management

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/13/6181

Study: No statistical support for wolf control and maternal penning as conservation measures for endangered mountain caribou

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-020-02008-3

Article: 500 dead wolves vs. 500 lost jobs: Town balks at potential cost of saving caribou in northeastern B.C.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/caribou-jobs-wolves-chetwynd-northeastern-british-columbia-1.5087317

AnimalStone.com!

Media outlets paint wildlife as the perpetrators of actions against people. But in their own recounting of events, they show how humans often started the conflicts. Former journalist and host of Defender Radio Michael Howie explores this issue and asks the questions that went unanswered by media outlets when humans and wildlife come into conflict.

This audio essay was first published at https://thefurbearers.com/blog/essay-media-blames-wildlife-people-source-conflict.

All associated links can be found there.

This bonus episode is brought to you by AnimalStone.com. Use promocode DEFENDERRADIO to get 10% off your ethically made, animal-inspired jewellery today!

Hi folks!

There's no episode this week because I'm on vacation! The episode art is from earlier today of JJ the Lake Hound, waiting for me to toss her ball in the water (which was necessary as it was 40+ with the humidity!). 

We'll be back soon with a new episode. Don't forget to check out AnimalStone.com, where you can get 10% off the purchase of a Made in Canada animal charm. Not only are the metals ethically sourced and often recycled, a portion of proceeds go to help in field animal projects! Hit up AnimalStone.com and use promocode DEFENDERRADIO for 10% off. 

From a cabin deep in the woods, I'll talk to you soon!

Mike and JJ

Nearly five years ago to the day, then-Conservation Officer Bryce Casavant famously refused an order to unnecessarily kill two healthy bear cubs; he was suspended, effectively fired and eventually left government service entirely. But just a few weeks ago, justices in BC’s appellant court ruled that the province did not play by their own rules, meaning Bryce has been, in a word, vindicated. Today, Bryce shared the story of how doing the right thing left him in a legal battle with the province that lasted over four and a half years.

Additionally, Bryce recently successfully defended his doctoral thesis – which happens to look, in part, at the history of the Conservation Officer Service and how they went from game wardens to an armed law enforcement agency.

In this in-depth conversation, Bryce and I discuss the background and decision of his court case, the need to have hard conversations about less visible law enforcement agencies, legislative hide and seek, mission creep, and how it feels to be vindicated.

This episode is sponsored by AnimalStone! A family-owned and operated business based in Toronto, AnimalStone handmakes gorgeous charms of animals – and gives back a portion of proceeds to non-profits working to protect those animals! Even better, the metals used are ethically sourced in Canada and often come from recycled materials. Listeners of Defender Radio can get 10% off their order by using promo code DEFENDERRADIO at AnimalStone.com. Learn more about this great company and their beautiful jewellery at AnimalStone.com.

Conservation officer suspended for refusing to kill bear cubs:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bryce-casavant-conservation-officer-suspended-for-refusing-to-kill-bear-cubs-1.3141652

No charges against Coquitlam residents accused of obstructing conservation officers:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/no-charges-against-coquitlam-residents-accused-of-obstructing-conservation-officers-1.4792991

Casavant v. British Columbia Labour Relations Board), 2020 BCCA 159:
https://www.bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/ca/20/01/2020BCCA0159.htm

Black bears are common throughout much of Canada and, despite their gentleness and general lack of interest in people, end up the accused source of conflict with people regularly. Unfortunately, that also means that law enforcement agencies are the ones responding to, and frequently killing bears. These agencies can lack training, funding and/or third-party oversight of officer discretion in the field.

Bears pay for the mistakes made by people. And that’s why organizations like The Fur-Bearers and North Shore Black Bear Society work so hard to educate residents on how we can prevent conflict.

At North Shore Black Bear Society, education coordinator Luci Cadman speaks regularly about residential and commercial attractants, advocates for the bears who are victims of human behaviour, and, in a recent online presentation, how to be safe while recreating in BC’s bear country.

Luci joined the Defender Radio podcast in the first week of June for this interview.

North Shore Black Bear Society: www.NorthShoreBears.com

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Email updates: https://thefurbearers.com/sign-save-animals

Stash Your Trash Music Video: https://youtu.be/rsD982wJ7_0

I have no words this week.

There is nothing I can say that will soften the hurt facing people in North America, and particularly Indigenous peoples and people of colour. This is not the time for my voice.

Now is the time for the voice of those who must be heard. This week, instead of Defender Radio, which will return next week with two new interviews, I hope you will join me in listening to podcasts created by Indigenous peoples and people of colour. A few that I’ve enjoyed include:

MediaIndigena, an Indigenous hosted podcast about Indigenous current affairs

Yo, Is This Racist, a Q&A show, hosted by Andrew Ti and Tawny Newsome

and

Code Switch by NPR, featuring journalists of colour Demby and co-host Shereen Marisol Meraji

This is by no means a complete list, or even the ones you should listen to. By searching “podcasts by people of colour” or “podcasts by indigenous people” you’ll start seeing lists pop up. In this week’s show notes I’m also including a list of POC-created audio fiction podcasts.

Defender Radio will return. For now please stay safe.

MediaIndigena: https://mediaindigena.com/

Short, curated list of POC-created podcasts by Christian Burro, arts reporter for WBUR in Boston: https://www.wbur.org/artery/2020/06/05/podcasts-to-listen-to-about-race-america

List of fiction podcasts (audio fiction): https://www.podchaser.com/lists/fiction-podcasts-created-by-poc-107a4WZHfN

How can you tell the difference between a wolf and a coyote? What’s a coywolf? Do they live alone or in packs? Are their packs like wolves, or different?

We asked for questions and we got ‘em! A few weeks back, I asked on social media what your questions would be for Lesley Sampson, Founder and Executive Director at Coyote Watch Canada. You answered. And then you kept on answering! Between Defender Radio and Coyote Watch Canada’s social media, we had two packed pages of questions to go over in our recent interview.

We didn’t get to all the questions – this episode is already a pretty long one. But we may be able to use some to create blogs for our websites, so stay tuned on that. And because this is such a long episode, you’ll be able to find some time codes for specific topics in the shownotes in the coming days.

Coyote Watch Canada: www.CoyoteWatchCanada.com

Article regarding the coyote mating meme: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/breaking-down-coyote-mating-meme

Defender Radio Facebook: www.FaceBook.com/DefenderRadio

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Defender Radio Instagram: www.Instagram.com/HowieMichael

Show notes to be updated soon!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The last time I posted an episode it was February and a global health emergency was landing hard in Canada and the United States. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 but a lot of questions remain. You’re probably not going to get answers to those questions on this podcast.

But what you’re going to hear is a solid summary of what we know about coronavirus and its link to animals, a conversation about the difficulty in media rapidly disseminating scientific information, and how ready some North Americans are to make big lifestyle changes as a result of the virus. Tom Beggs, a research scientist with Faunalytics, joined Defender Radio last week to discuss general information about coronavirus and animal advocacy in the time of coronavirus, as well as the results and analysis of a fascinating US poll regarding public knowledge on coronavirus and its animal links.

Before we dive in I want to remind everyone that this information should not replace that given by health professionals and neither participants in this interview are health professionals; for up to date information on COVID-19 in your community please seek your municipal, provincial or the Health Canada coronavirus websites.

Read The Faunalytics Report: https://faunalytics.org/covid-19-poll/

Sign Up To Get Faunalytics Email blasts: https://faunalytics.org/alerts/signup/

Health Canada COVID-19 Page: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

CDC COVID-19 Page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

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Eighty-one per cent of BC’s southern mountain caribou local populations have lost more habitat than what’s needed for survival. That’s the lede from the Wilderness Committee news item announcing the release of the NGO’s report, State of Southern Mountain Caribou Habitat in BC: Exceeding Disturbance Limits.

The fate of the mountain caribou in this region has been spotlighted in part due to their status under the Species at Risk Act and the controversial methods the government has utilized. Wolf culls and maternity pens are in use but aren’t considered a long-term solution by advocates – and doesn’t address the clear and indisputable cause of the caribous’ perilous position: habitat destruction.

The report released by Wilderness Committee measures “all destructive activities within caribou critical habitat over the past 80 years.” The results, according to the report, show that “critical habitat disturbance levels are far beyond the threshold for caribou recovery in 17 out of 21 local population units.”

What that means and what Canadians can do to protect caribou – as well as wolves and other wildlife being killed in recovery efforts – is discussed with Defender Radio by report author Charlotte Dawe of Wilderness Committee.

Episode cover photo by John E. Marriott: www.WildernessPrints.com

Wilderness Committee Report: https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/bc-allows-destruction-caribou-habitat-point-extinction-new-report

Defender Radio on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio

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Let’s talk about the economy. An exciting start to any conversation, right? Here’s the thing: events like Ontario’s spring bear hunt are pushed by governments because they look at the financial impact of them. But here’s the thing: hunting and trapping aren’t the only activities that bring in dollars to the province. In fact, ecotourism as a whole is a multi-billion dollar industry in Ontario and British Columbia – and hunting is a tiny fraction of the cash flow created.

In the last episode of the show we spoke about the spring bear hunt in Ontario – and if you haven’t heard that episode along with advocacy options please do go back and listen to it. In this episode we’re talking about the wild world of ecotourism in general terms through the experiences of an ethical and successful operator, Eric Boyum.

The owner/operator of Ocean Adventures on the coast of beautiful British Columbia, Eric and his partner and photographer extraordinaire Trish take both local residents and international visitors to explore the coastline, see the beauty of the natural environment and get a chance to witness and photograph stunning wildlife. Eric joined Defender Radio recently to discuss his business and experience, the opportunities that exist for people with outdoor experience in the ecotourism sector and the ethics and considerations he takes into account on a daily basis.

Ocean Adventures: www.OceanAdventures.bc.ca

Referenced article about polar bear killing a dog: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/frightening-truth-behind-viral-video-polar-bear-petting-dog

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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Let’s talk about the economy. An exciting start to any conversation, right? Here’s the thing: events like Ontario’s spring bear hunt are pushed by governments because they look at the financial impact of them. But here’s the thing: hunting and trapping aren’t the only activities that bring in dollars to the province. In fact, ecotourism as a whole is a multi-billion dollar industry in Ontario and British Columbia – and hunting is a tiny fraction of the cash flow created.

In the last episode of the show we spoke about the spring bear hunt in Ontario – and if you haven’t heard that episode along with advocacy options please do go back and listen to it. In this episode we’re talking about the wild world of ecotourism in general terms through the experiences of an ethical and successful operator, Eric Boyum.

The owner/operator of Ocean Adventures on the coast of beautiful British Columbia, Eric and his partner and photographer extraordinaire Trish take both local residents and international visitors to explore the coastline, see the beauty of the natural environment and get a chance to witness and photograph stunning wildlife. Eric joined Defender Radio recently to discuss his business and experience, the opportunities that exist for people with outdoor experience in the ecotourism sector and the ethics and considerations he takes into account on a daily basis.

Ocean Adventures: www.OceanAdventures.bc.ca

Referenced article about polar bear killing a dog: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/frightening-truth-behind-viral-video-polar-bear-petting-dog

Defender Radio social media

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Well, there’s no nice way to put it: the Ontario government wants to make permanent the spring season for killing black bears.

There’s a whole lot of reasons the Ontario spring bear hunt shouldn’t exist at all, let alone be made a permanent fixture. To explore the myriad of reasons it’s a bad idea and more completely outline the harm this hunt can and does cause, I was joined by bear expert Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre here in Ontario.

TAKE ACTION: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/action-alert-spring-bear-hunt-ontario-could-become-permanent

Fact Check TVO article: https://www.tvo.org/article/are-ontarios-hunting-rules-about-managing-wildlife-or-making-money

Bear With Us Sanctuary & Rehab Centre: https://bearwithus.org/

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Bill 156 is dangerous for animals.

This legislation, introduced in late 2019, targets those who find their ways onto animal agricultural facilities and document disregard for animal welfare or individuals who are working on farms and become whistleblowers in the face of blatant animal cruelty. It even targets those who protest or bear witness for animals on their way to slaughter. It is billed as a way to protect the security of farmers and food production, but if that was the intent it would focus on the farms – not those who find problems with them.

Animal agriculture isn’t an area I spend a lot of time researching outside of its relationship to wildlife conflict; some of the dear people in my life are passionate about this subject, however, and I witnessed their distress in the face of this legislation. That’s why I wanted to talk to Camille Labchuk, Executive Director at Animal Justice. We get into what this legislation will actually mean and how animal lovers and activists can take action against it. We also discuss the PAWS act – Ontario’s new animal welfare legislation that replaces the enforcement actions of the Ontario SPCA.

Animal Justice: www.AnimalJustice.ca

Cover art: www.WeAnimalsMedia.org

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