No spring bear hunt in N.S. after public consultation

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

There won’t be a spring bear hunt this year in Nova Scotia.

The Department of Natural Resources announced that decision on Wednesday after going over public feedback it said “clearly show Nova Scotians care deeply and are very divided on the idea of a spring bear hunt“.

An online survey of about 17,000 people found 51 per cent were opposed to the hunt, 47 were in support and two per cent were neutral.

It said most of the letters sent in by people and organizations didn’t support the spring hunt either.

“The Department is committed to maintaining a stable and healthy bear population living in their natural habitat without negatively affecting the ecosystem or creating safety problems in communities,” read a press release.