By By Marcus Hondro May 19, 2015 in Environment A B.C. Ministry of Environment report released through the Freedom of Information Act shows the government blames the decline of the caribou population in the province on humankind, not on wolves. However, a controversial wolf cull will continue. Report on caribou herds The document released on the government's open-information website on May 15 was compiled in October of 2014. Since then the wolf cull program began in January of this year, and 84 wolves were killed by hunters in helicopters. Eleven wolves in the South Selkirk region were shot and killed from the sky and 73 in the South Peace region. The report notes “Ultimately, as long as the habitat conditions on and adjacent to caribou ranges remain heavily modified by industrial activities," the report says. "It is unlikely that any self-sustaining caribou populations will be able to exist in the South Peace (region).” “The effectiveness of wolf control to improve caribou population growth has not been demonstrated in these herds, so there is some chance that the programs will not be effective,” it continues. “To maximize the probability of success, the wolf reduction should be very intensive over the entire area and there must be a financial commitment to keep the program going for at least a decade." Pacific Wild: against wolf cull Many organizations and individuals are opposed to the cull and have voiced concerns that it is poorly planned and not the right approach to take to conserving the caribou herds in the regions noted. A conservation group called Pacific Wild has collected upwards of 200,000 signatures on a petition calling for an end to the cull. "This is an ill-conceived plan to save endangered caribou in B.C.," the group's The executive director of Pacific Wild, Ian McAllister, told media in March that the cull "is scientifically indefensible." He believes it is "a diversionary tactic laid out to ensure the fundamental issue of habitat protection for caribou continues to be ignored." McAllister said, "hundreds of wolves are suffering a needless cruel death right now, funded by our tax dollars" and added there is "widespread international condemnation" of the wolf kill. However, there are conservation groups supporting the cull, groups that believe the caribou need protecting from grey wolves. Ministry to continue cull The ministry is on record as saying the cull is needed. Ministry officials claim they have taken other steps to help the caribou survive, but without the cull they will not. "The province has taken a variety of other actions to assist at-risk caribou herds, including setting aside key habitat, managing recreation to reduce human disturbance and undertaking maternal penning projects to increase calf survival in endangered herds,” the ministry told the "Those calling for only habitat protection activities need to recognize these efforts are already underway," the ministry added. "But will not be enough on their own." The government has no plans to end the wolf cull and plans to kill more wolves in subsequent years. The document released on the government's open-information website on May 15 was compiled in October of 2014. Since then the wolf cull program began in January of this year, and 84 wolves were killed by hunters in helicopters. Eleven wolves in the South Selkirk region were shot and killed from the sky and 73 in the South Peace region.The report notes program, which it says the government should continue for a decade, has no guarantee of success. It also says the decline of the caribou population is not the fault of wolves though the report considers them an impediment to the caribou population's growth.“Ultimately, as long as the habitat conditions on and adjacent to caribou ranges remain heavily modified by industrial activities," the report says. "It is unlikely that any self-sustaining caribou populations will be able to exist in the South Peace (region).”“The effectiveness of wolf control to improve caribou population growth has not been demonstrated in these herds, so there is some chance that the programs will not be effective,” it continues.“To maximize the probability of success, the wolf reduction should be very intensive over the entire area and there must be a financial commitment to keep the program going for at least a decade."Many organizations and individuals are opposed to the cull and have voiced concerns that it is poorly planned and not the right approach to take to conserving the caribou herds in the regions noted. A conservation group called Pacific Wild has collected upwards of 200,000 signatures on a petition calling for an end to the cull."This is an ill-conceived plan to save endangered caribou in B.C.," the group's website says. "The wolves are not responsible for the dwindling caribou numbers; habitat loss and human encroachment are. But wolves are taking the blame and paying the price."The executive director of Pacific Wild, Ian McAllister, told media in March that the cull "is scientifically indefensible." He believes it is "a diversionary tactic laid out to ensure the fundamental issue of habitat protection for caribou continues to be ignored."McAllister said, "hundreds of wolves are suffering a needless cruel death right now, funded by our tax dollars" and added there is "widespread international condemnation" of the wolf kill. However, there are conservation groups supporting the cull, groups that believe the caribou need protecting from grey wolves.The ministry is on record as saying the cull is needed. Ministry officials claim they have taken other steps to help the caribou survive, but without the cull they will not."The province has taken a variety of other actions to assist at-risk caribou herds, including setting aside key habitat, managing recreation to reduce human disturbance and undertaking maternal penning projects to increase calf survival in endangered herds,” the ministry told the Nelson Star in March."Those calling for only habitat protection activities need to recognize these efforts are already underway," the ministry added. "But will not be enough on their own."The government has no plans to end the wolf cull and plans to kill more wolves in subsequent years. More about wolf cull, bc ministry of environment, bc wolf cull, report on wolf cull, caribou herds More news from wolf cull bc ministry of envir... bc wolf cull report on wolf cull caribou herds