Ministers Must Be Accountable to the Public for Wildlife Management Decisions

July 20, 2026

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• Wildlife
• Wildlife Management
• WLA Archive

Wildlands Advocate article by Ruiping Luo, AWA conservation Specialist

Read the PDF version here.

 

In November 2025, AWA and Exposed Wildlife Conservancy wrote to the Ethics Commissioner requesting an investigation into the conduct of Minister Loewen, the Minister of Forestry and Parks. We pointed out that there is a clear conflict of interest, and his actions show he is choosing personal benefits over his responsibility to manage wildlife for all Albertans.

Over six months later, we have yet to receive a response.

This is not the first letter that has been ignored. Over the past two years, we have sent several letters, asking for information or explanations for the many changes to hunting and trapping that have been made. We have compiled data, spoken with biologists, and been supported with thousands of letters from our members and the public. All of this argues against the changes as unscientific and largely unwelcome by Albertans.

To most of these letters, there has been no response.

When female cougar quotas were increased without explanation, we asked for the studies, consultation, and any plans to monitor the effects of this change. We received a brief letter that failed to include any data or consultation information.

When “problem” grizzly bear hunting was opened under the new “Wildlife Responder Program”, we wrote to ask for the supporting data and questioned the lack of consultation behind this opening. The response we received lacked any evidence or consultation supporting this change. We also requested information from the department on the grizzly bears that have been killed so far under this program.  We have still not received this information.

When trapping limits on sensitive furbearers were lifted, we wrote to request trapping limits based on science, public consultation on trapping limits, and a revision to the mistake that trapping limits were set too late for them to take effect that season. The response we received focused largely on wolf trapping, which was unrelated to our letter.

When cougar hunting areas were expanded to include Cypress Hills and more of northern Alberta, we wrote to ask for evidence that cougar populations needed to be culled, that hunting could manage conflicts, and to request information on consultations made prior to the decision. We received no response.

We gathered 35 pages of evidence against these decisions in an open letter, requesting that the decisions be rescinded and science-based limits set. We did not receive a response to this letter.

We wrote to ask for reconsideration of the changes to Alberta’s hunting regulations, especially the extension of hunting seasons, the use of off-leash hunting dogs, and the wasting of double-crested cormorant meat. We have not received a response on this issue.

This trend shows an alarming lack of transparency, and an unwillingness to engage with Albertans beyond a select group of hunters, trappers, and outfitters. AWA has always demanded transparency and accountability from our elected representatives. Minister Loewen’s actions are not fulfilling his role in representing the interests of Albertans.