IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!!!

We need your help to stop a canned hunting expansion that will negatively impact Florida black bears and other wildlife.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is set to adopt new regulations that will allow for the expansion of hunting preserves/game farms. There are currently 546 hunting preserve/game farms in the state. The proposed changes will also allow for the sale of white-tailed deer and their meat (venison) from game farms. Under the current law hunt preserve, owners cannot exceed 10,000 acres. However, through loopholes, they can operate on over 10,000 acres by fencing their property off in 10,000-acre increments. The proposed changes put NO LIMIT on the amount of land used for these hunting operations. Instead of updating the rules to remove the loopholes, the FWC would rather remove the acreage restrictions so that these hunting operations comply with the law, which means less work for the FWC.

The animals kept at these facilities receive little to no protection concerning their welfare or the methods used to kill them. The Animal Welfare Act does not regulate game preserves, hunting preserves, or canned hunts, and the Endangered Species Act does not prevent private ownership of endangered species and, in some cases, allows the hunting of captive-bred endangered species.

In addition to the unethical and inhumane treatment of animals, these operations also negatively impact the environment and native wildlife. The fencing used to stop captive wildlife from escaping and prevent native wildlife from entering is 8ft tall and located in or near forests, which conflicts with natural wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity. It puts native wildlife at risk of disease transmission, and animal waste from these farms can affect our waterways. The proposed rule changes raise several red flags concerning the long-term health of Florida’s wildlife populations, and the ecological effect game farms have on them.

Email the FWC Commissioners now and tell them you oppose the Final Rule – Regulations for Hunt Preserves, Rule 68A-12.010 F.A.C. and Game Farms, Rule 68A-12.011 F.A.C.

https://myfwc.com/contact/fwc-office/senior-staff/commissioners/