Parks Canada has hit pause on the second phase of a controversial program to eradicate invasive deer from a small Gulf Island near Victoria.
The national parks agency announced the move Wednesday, after video emerged that showed panicked and exhausted deer entangled in netting installed for the project.
Parks Canada installed about 35 km of netting on Sidney Island in August. The net was intended to corral the deer so that marksmen could kill them.
“The decision to postpone the actions for 2024 was made as a result of several factors, most importantly the welfare of the animals of the island and the lack of effectiveness of the netting installed to herd deer, causing a lower probability of a successful outcome,” Parks Canada said in a statement.
“This pause will allow for additional consultations with First Nations and project partners on a reimagined solution to achieve eco-system restoration.”
The deer eradication program has been controversial from the get-go.
Parks Canada says the program is necessary to eliminate hundreds of European fallow deer, which were introduced in the mid-1900s and have devastated the native ecosystem.
The project has the support of the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council and several local First Nations.
In early 2023, island residents narrowly voted to approve Parks Canada’s plan to destroy the animals, but there has also been strong local opposition.
Some island residents say they have successfully managed deer numbers on their own through private hunting, while others have expressed human safety and animal welfare concerns.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has also criticized the multi-million-dollar program, which it says has so far spent about $10,000 for every deer killed.
Last December, the marksmen with the project shot and killed 84 deer.
The hunters, Parks Canada and First Nations recovered about 800 kilograms of meat along with hides and other usable materials that were distributed among W̱SÁNEĆ communities.