The Province has confirmed an additional case of chronic wasting disease in British Columbia, found in a white-tailed deer in the Kootenay region.

George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, have released the following statement about a new partnership between the Province and the Grizzly Bear Foundation aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflicts and enhancing the well-being of grizzly and black bears in the province:

Government is taking further steps to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer populations and to protect elk, moose and caribou that are also at risk of infection.

From Fisheries and Oceans Canada: https://www.fnfisheriescouncil.ca/trilateral-declaration-and-accord-to-address-the-decline-of-wild-pacific-salmon/

From the Prime Minister of Canada: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2024/06/25/protecting-more-our-marine-ecosystems-together-future-generations

To support government’s efforts to prevent invasive species, British Columbia’s chief veterinarian has issued an order making it illegal to transport watercraft in British Columbia with the drain plug still in place, as of May 17, 2024.

The Province, BC Hydro and conservation organizations are increasing efforts to protect local waterways and keep invasive mussels out of B.C.

The Province continues to address chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Kootenay Region where two deer samples tested positive for CWD earlier this year.