Florida Commissioners Approve Black Bear Hunt Despite Public Opposition

FWC Vote on Black Bear Hunt

• 🐻 Commissioners for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) met in Havana, near Tallahassee, to vote on allowing a black bear hunt.
• 🎯 The vote was on an amendment that would permit the killing of one bear per permit, with a self-reporting system and no weigh stations to verify bear weight.
• 🚫 Female bears with cubs would be protected under the new proposal.

Opposition and Concerns

• 📊 A recent poll indicated that 75% of Floridians oppose the black bear hunt.
• ⚠️ Opponents argue that black bears are not a significant threat, citing statistics where dogs kill more Floridians annually than bears.
• 📉 Concerns were raised that allowing the hunt undermines the FWC's own conservation successes.

Historical Context of Bear Hunts

• 🔙 The 2015 black bear hunt was called off after more than 300 bears, including mothers and cubs, were killed within 48 hours.
• 🌱 The black bear population in Florida has significantly rebounded since 1970, growing from an estimated 300-500 bears to approximately 4,000 bears by 2017.

Outcome of the Meeting

• ✅ The FWC commissioners have approved the amendment to allow the black bear hunt.