 October 31, 2003
Monday's rally is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Nov. 3rd on the corner of Aviation and Spenard, near the Millenium Hotel in Anchorage, AK. The Alaska Wildlife Alliance said in a news release that Gov. Murkowski's decision to allow members of the public to kill wolves with the aid of aircraft defies the overwhelming will of voters in two statewide elections, and a half-million people from around the world. His own Department of Fish and Game has a long standing history of opposition. For the first time in more than a quarter century, hunters will be able to shoot wolves from the cockpit of their airplane says the AWA. "The number of wolves killed annually in Alaska has more than doubled since aerial shooting was banned," said Dr. Paul Joslin, Alaska Wildlife Alliance wildlife director. "Too many hunters are already being encouraged to kill wolves because of private bounty inducements, liberalized bag limits, wolf trapping clinics and legalized chasing of wolves with the aid of high powered snowmachines," he went on to say. Quoting an AWA news release, Alaska voters thought they had put the matter of aerial wolf hunting to rest when they voted twice to ban the practice, once in a 1996 ballot initiative, and again in a 2000 referendum. According to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Gov. Murkowski's refusal not to listen to the voters could lead the state into an economic downturn. In 1992, Gov. Walter Hickel launched a similar wolf control program that was so unpopular it sparked a tourism boycott. Alaska's wildlife-associated tourism industry provides tens of thousands of jobs and contributes approximately $1.4 billion annually to the economy. The bullet-proof wolf rally
launches a new "Awareness" campaign by The Alaska Wildlife
Alliance aimed at trying to head off such a disaster. AWA said
it is none too soon, as Governor Murkowski's hand picked Board
of Game will be deciding at its October 31st - November 4th meeting
where, when and how the aerial killing of wolves will happen
this winter.
Source of News Release:
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