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Livestock Compensation
Wildlife compensation programs reimburse private landowners for damages and losses caused by wildlife with varying degrees of success.
The Wildlife Predator Compensation Program in Alberta provides economic compensation to ranchers whose livestock are killed or injured by wildlife predators. The program offers compensation for livestock species including cattle, sheep, bison, swine or goats killed or injured by predator species such as grizzly bear, black bear, wolf, cougar or eagle. Compensation is not paid for horses, donkeys or exotic animals nor for livestock kills or injures by coyote. In addition, incidents of carnivore feeding on livestock that have died of other causes are not covered under compensation. |
Livestock Losses
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When speaking of livestock losses from wolves, it is important to specify if the losses have been "confirmed" wolf losses, as compared to ""predators" or "losses" in general which can include losses due to illness, injury, weather, or cases of scavenging after an animal has died.
In Alberta, ranchers are paid 100% market price compensation for loss of livestock that have been confirmed by government officials as wolf kills (or bear etc.). Once confirmed as a wolf kill, wolves are then killed (often indiscriminately) usually by poison or by traps/snares. If a Fish and Wildlife Officer is not able to verify if it was a predator kill, then it is labeled a probable kill. The producer is paid 50% of the loss if a confirmed kill by the same species is found within 10 km either 90 days before or after the incident according to the Province of Alberta Wildlife Act 1997. |
Compensation Money
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Livestock compensation money is paid out by the Alberta Conservation Association, not the Department of Agriculture as many believe. It is administered by a compensation committee made up of representatives from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Alberta Beef Producers, Western Stockmen’s Association, Department of Agriculture, and Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. This committee is responsible for reviewing appeals and recommending changes to the program.
Compensation programs in other provinces vary in the way compensation money is paid out. Some regions only pay compensation money to ranchers that have proven that they practice non lethal wolf control and responsible animal husbandry. Other locations implement a "three strike" rule for wolves before utilizing lethal measures. Compensation programs were intended to increase predator tolerance in the livestock producing industry, foster cooperation and developed humane non lethal methods to protect livestock and co-exist with wildlife. With the current payment system in Alberta, however, there is no incentive for ranchers to make serious and consistent efforts to implement non lethal methods of coexistence, as compensation money is paid out with no requirements beyond government officials confirming a predator kill. Read more about Alberta's Wildlife Predator Compensation Program |
