Alberta coyote kill should be banned, says animal-rights group

An animal protection group has renewed calls to endkilling contests in Alberta, like the one scheduled to take place this weekend.

"These inhumane contests glorify killing a species that is essential to ecosystems, and can actually create new,more significant conflicts between wildlife and people," said MichaelHowie of theAssociation for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals.

Described as "reckless" and "inhumane" by critics, the 2015 contest prompted calls for the province to outlaw bounty hunts.

The organizer of this weekend'scoyote hunting contest said even death threats won'tstop him from hosting the tournament again this year.

The contest on Saturday offers a cash prize to the team of huntersthat can kill the most coyotes in a single day.

"The science is clear," Howiesaid in a statement issued Tuesday. "When coyotes are persecuted, their populations increase; when their social units or familiesare disrupted, conflict and depredation on livestock increases; and there is no argument even if there is ahealthy population size to glorify the mass killing of sentient, ecologically significant animals."

The organizer of the contest is a man namedPaul, who asked that his last name not be usedto protect his family from harassment. He said he has heard the critics and doesn't agree with them.

"Coyotes are pests," he said. "They're legal to hunt any time of the year, with permission on farmers' land."

Howie said itis the Alberta government'sdutyto manage land and wildlife habitat and regulatehunting and trapping.

"By allowing killing contests, Alberta's leadership is showing a severe lack of stewardship," Howie said,callingonEnvironment Minister Shannon Phillips andPremier Rachel Notley to demand an end to such "inhumane" contests immediately.

A spokesperson for the environment minister's office said the government is not planning to change the rules around hunting, noting when coyote populations are high they can threaten livestock and move into urban areas.

But the province does have theauthority to restrict animal harvests if it is deemed necessary, the spokesperson said.