Opinion: Unlimited trapping not the way to study Alberta’s wolverines

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Using the wrong tool for the job is inefficient and often ineffective, as many Albertans know.

So why is the provincial government insisting on using the wrong tool to assess how wolverines are faring in Alberta? Instead of investing in proven scientific approaches for monitoring wolverines, the Alberta government plans to adopt unlimited trapping quotas over the next one to two years for these rare and elusive animals as a means of assessing population status.

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There is no doubt that understanding wolverines is a complicated task. I’ve spent many cold, dark winter days in northern Alberta and northern Ontario on the trail of these burly members of the weasel family. There might only be a few in a 1,000 square-kilometre area and they cover a lot of ground. Unlike moose, caribou, or wolves, we can’t easily count them from the air to understand their reproductive output or population trend. Nonetheless, we have found effective ways of understanding them through live trapping, camera trapping, and aerial track surveys.

It’s the kind of scientific work we specialize in at Wildlife Conservation Society Canada. We do this while working closely with trappers, including Indigenous Peoples, to tap into their extensive knowledge of the land and animals.

The government claims there is a “virtual ban” on trapping wolverines in Alberta today. That is not true. The owner of a registered trapline is allowed to harvest one wolverine per trapping season deliberately. However, many trappers obtain wolverines beyond their allotted quota as “incidental” catch. This additional harvest is not always intentional. Wolverines are sometimes killed in traps set for other species because they are attracted to the bait used by trappers, particularly scraps of beaver meat, road kill, or lures meant for wolves, lynx, marten, or fishers. Local government officials have the discretion to authorize additional harvests and it is widely known that trappers are often granted permission for these extra wolverines, whose fur then can be sold commercially or for taxidermy.

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We can’t be sure how much wolverine harvest will increase with an unlimited quota. Most trappers strive to be responsible stewards of the land and wildlife, but wolverine population dynamics extend far beyond a single trapline. These animals move long distances, exist at low densities, and are slow to reproduce, which means that killing just a few can be very detrimental to the population in a large area.

While it’s true that neighboring provinces have unlimited wolverine harvest, the Kootenay region of British Columbia recently prohibited harvest. The wolverine also has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the contiguous United States.

The scientific community’s concern for wolverines is rooted in the threat from cumulative effects. The snow and cold-adapted wolverine is under tremendous stress from warmer winters, less predictable snowpack, industrial development, and recreation in areas that were once wild and intact. Road and seismic line networks have created a vast interface for trappers, predators, and recreationalists to interact with wolverines, which research has shown is detrimental to these reclusive animals.

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We agree that not enough is known about the state of the wolverine population in Alberta. But we disagree that trappers were terribly limited in their past harvest quotas and that unlimited harvest is the way to get better answers. What is the government’s study plan? How does unlimited harvest provide better data to answer management questions? You might glean some additional information on the relative abundance of wolverines with unlimited harvest, but at what cost?

Long-term investments in wolverine monitoring would be a better place to start; establish baselines of abundance and distribution with non-invasive methods and monitor thereafter on regular intervals.

There is some evidence that wolverine densities are higher in Alberta’s northern boreal forest relative to the mountains and foothills. But before we adjust quotas, we should be sure of this with additional targeted scientific research and monitoring. Trappers should be a part of this research. We also should be looking for ways to reduce threats, including ensuring wolverines have road-free habitat, that incidental trapping is reduced, and that den sites are well protected.

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Wolverines exemplify the rugged and wild character of Alberta. We should strive towards informed and sustainable management of harvest and habitats rather than relying on risky and scientifically unsound policies.

Matt Scrafford is a wildlife scientist with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada who has studied wolverines in Alberta, Ontario and Alaska.