Post by bigbearhunter on Sept 6, 2005 17:52:14 GMT -5
Alberta would be less attractive to hunters from the U.S. and overseas after the discovery of the first-ever case of chronic wasting disease in a wild deer, says an Alberta Fish and Game Association official.
"I don't think it will shut the industry down," said Andy Boyd, the association's environment chairman.
"But non-resident hunters would prefer to go to an area where they're confident these animals are disease-free, or appear to be," he said.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development yesterday announced that CWD, a brain-wasting disease affecting deer and elk, had been confirmed in a wild mule deer found about 30 km southeast of Oyen. A member of the public noticed the very thin deer and notified Fish and Wildlife officers.
Oyen is 396 km southeast of Edmonton.
Three cases of the disease had previously been found in Alberta, but those were in farmed elk and deer. Saskatchewan has had 68 cases of the disease in wild deer, the province said.
"It was to be expected," Boyd said of the disease's presence in the wild. "It was literally a matter of time before it happened in Alberta."
The province said yesterday there's no known link between CWD and human health. But Boyd said the jury is still out on that.
"The defining lines between CWD and BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease that humans get - there doesn't seem to be any real difference scientifically, or at least in the public's minds, between those different diseases," said Boyd.
"I don't think most people would be comfortable eating those animals that they knew tested positive.''
Boyd predicted the discovery would put some negative pressure on the game ranching industry, which is often blamed for the spread of CWD.
Elk and deer infected with CWD become thin, weak and start drooling because of excess saliva.
The province intends to cull at least 50 deer in the immediate vicinity of where the diseased deer was found to stop the spread.
Hunters are also being asked to turn in the heads of deer killed in the area so their tissue can be tested.
"I don't think it will shut the industry down," said Andy Boyd, the association's environment chairman.
"But non-resident hunters would prefer to go to an area where they're confident these animals are disease-free, or appear to be," he said.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development yesterday announced that CWD, a brain-wasting disease affecting deer and elk, had been confirmed in a wild mule deer found about 30 km southeast of Oyen. A member of the public noticed the very thin deer and notified Fish and Wildlife officers.
Oyen is 396 km southeast of Edmonton.
Three cases of the disease had previously been found in Alberta, but those were in farmed elk and deer. Saskatchewan has had 68 cases of the disease in wild deer, the province said.
"It was to be expected," Boyd said of the disease's presence in the wild. "It was literally a matter of time before it happened in Alberta."
The province said yesterday there's no known link between CWD and human health. But Boyd said the jury is still out on that.
"The defining lines between CWD and BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease that humans get - there doesn't seem to be any real difference scientifically, or at least in the public's minds, between those different diseases," said Boyd.
"I don't think most people would be comfortable eating those animals that they knew tested positive.''
Boyd predicted the discovery would put some negative pressure on the game ranching industry, which is often blamed for the spread of CWD.
Elk and deer infected with CWD become thin, weak and start drooling because of excess saliva.
The province intends to cull at least 50 deer in the immediate vicinity of where the diseased deer was found to stop the spread.
Hunters are also being asked to turn in the heads of deer killed in the area so their tissue can be tested.
