Yorkton-Melville MP Garry Breitkreuz wants to increase the amount of protection for hunters and anglers in Canada. To that end, he has introduced a private members’ bill, Bill C-655, to make it an offence to interfere with lawful hunting, fishing, trapping or sport shooting in Canada.
The bill seeks to amend the criminal code by adding the following after section 264.1:
Every one commits an offence who intentionally interferes with lawful hunting, trapping, fishing or sport shooting by
(a) tampering with or moving bait or a trap, net or firearm or any other thing or animal used for hunting, trapping, fishing or sport shooting;
(b) placing themselves in a position that hinders or prevents hunting, trapping, fishing or sport shooting; or
(c) engaging in an activity that disturbs or is likely to disturb wildlife, including fish.
Breitkreuz says that he feels it’s “an essential follow-up” to his role as co-chair of the Parliamentary Outdoors Caucus. Before he leaves Parliament, Breitkreuz wants to see laws in place to allow people to freely enjoy hunting, trapping fishing and sport shooting.
Part of the goal is also to unify regulations across the country. Breitkreuz says that in Canada, protections range from quite good in some provinces to nothing at all in others, but if this bill passes it would mean uniform protections coast to coast.
“By putting it in the criminal code, it affects everyone, and therefore protect everyone in all provinces equally.”
Interference in hunting activities has been substantial in Canada, Breitkreuz says, with efforts to disrupt the seal hunt, the spring bear hunt in Ontario – which Breitkreuz says has resulted in a bear problem in rural Ontario.
“Right now there are animal rights groups that collect money by the tens of millions of dollars, and come to Canada here to try to make it illegal to use a fish hook or go hunting, even use your own property for those kinds of activities.”
These activities are traditional heritage activities for Canada, Breitkreuz says, and that is why it is his goal to protect them. The goal is also to make people care more about the outdoors of the country.
“If you do studies on angling or fishing, you find that the people who use our outdoor resources are the ones who most avidly protect them. They really ensure they are there for future generations for them to use, and this is really important in that way. Many people have moved to the city and lost touch with some of these activities, so they need special protection, they are very valuable. People who use the outdoors have the most respect for the outdoors.”
Breitkreuz also says fishing programs can be helpful in dealing with at-risk youth and changing their outlook.
A long-time advocate for outdoor pursuits in parliament, Breitkreuz says protecting these heritage activities has always been a priority.
“I thought this was a very good way to signal to others what I thought was important, and maybe be one of the final notes in my career as an MP.”
