Wildlife Amendment Act (Bill 41) … or Trophy Hunting in the Rockies:

In July 2024, the Government of Alberta reinstated a grizzly bear hunt which had been limited by a moratorium in 2006. In 2010, the grizzly bear was designated as threatened with extinction (endangered) in Alberta, and in 2020 The Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Program was published. The existing Wildlife Act, however, offers no protection for endangered species and no prohibition against hunting endangered wildlife. It lacks a commitment to meeting national and international obligations to protect and restore species-at-risk (including the 1995 Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Species-at-Risk Act).

In December 2024, the Government of Alberta lifted trapping restrictions on wolverines, despite current populations of less than 1000 individuals mostly limited to the north of the province. The decision was designed to ‘improve population data’. Given their low reproductive rates, low population, and sensitivity to environmental disruption the data should trend towards extirpation.

In 2025, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 41, the Wildlife Amendment Act, 2025, ostensibly to align the existing act to new technologies and societal needs, and “simplify the process for hunters, trappers, and wildlife officers”.

Some of the amendments proposed include: allowing black bear and cougars to be hunted for food; the potential to expand the use of hunting dogs, including while hunting in provincial parks; allowing minors to hunt without supervision; allowing shooting from motorized boats (not in motion); allowing lower calibre ammunition for game hunting, and; allowing new technologies such as laser-sights.

It is argued that the current regulations are already lax, and that current hunting rates already exceed sustainable limits, impacting the viability of some populations.

SAGE is concerned that:

– Wildlife, including species-at-risk, is threatened by relaxing hunting and trapping practices.
– Wildlife habitat is diminishing at an alarming rate, further stressing at-risk populations and threatening biodiversity.

What can you do? Challenge the Government of Alberta to provide the science that supports their decisions related to hunting and trapping regulations, particularly as they relate to endangered species.