FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 27, 2025
Following recent comments from Minister Todd Loewen and a formal ethics complaint, Exposed Wildlife Conservancy urges the Alberta government to reject politically motivated wildlife policy and reaffirm science-based stewardship.
Alberta — Exposed Wildlife Conservancy (EWC) is raising renewed concern after a series of recent statements from Alberta’s Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, who has reiterated that reinstating a grizzly bear hunt remains “on the table”. These comments come at a time when Alberta’s grizzly bears are still listed as a Threatened species and follow a formal ethics complaint submitted last week by EWC and Alberta Wilderness Association.
The complaint calls for an investigation into the Minister’s potential conflict of interest, citing his longstanding ties to the outfitting sector and decisions that appear to prioritize private interests over the public good.
“Albertans deserve wildlife policy that is grounded in science, transparent in process, and free from private influence,” says Maggie Spizzirri, Executive Director of Exposed Wildlife Conservancy. “When decisions ignore evidence, bypass public consultation, and favour a narrow set of groups, both wildlife and public trust suffer. Ethical wildlife management demands accountability. We are speaking up because Albertans deserve nothing less.”
While no formal policy has been proposed, the Minister’s statement that “all options are on the table”, along with his inflammatory rhetoric on social media, has drawn backlash from conservation groups, biologists, and members of the public concerned about the future of Alberta’s grizzly bears.
“When a Minister suggests that hunting a Threatened species is a legitimate management option, it sends a chilling message about the direction of wildlife policy in Alberta,” said Maggie Spizzirri, Executive Director of EWC. “This kind of rhetoric undermines public trust, scientific recovery planning, and decades of conservation work.”
Grizzly bears were designated as Threatened in Alberta in 2010, and the province’s own 2020 Recovery Plan acknowledges that populations remain vulnerable due to human-caused mortality and habitat fragmentation, including large-scale industrial developments such as coal mining projects in the Eastern Slopes that overlap with grizzly habitat.
Alberta’s most recent, albeit outdated, DNA-based population estimate places the province’s total population between 856 and 973 bears. With some Grizzly Bear Management Units containing fewer than 60 individuals, these numbers fall well below what biologists consider secure for long-term viability.
Grizzly bears also reproduce slowly, with females giving birth every three to five years. That means even modest increases in human-caused mortality or habitat loss can jeopardize population stability.
“With such low reproductive rates and limited habitat security, especially when mining and road expansion are carving up key landscapes, Alberta’s grizzly bears simply cannot sustain the added pressure of trophy hunting,” said Spizzirri. “It’s not just ecologically irresponsible, it contradicts Alberta’s own wildlife recovery targets.”
Decades of peer-reviewed research across North America show that recreational or trophy hunting does not decrease human-wildlife conflict. Conflict is primarily influenced by the availability of attractants, food shortages, habitat pressures, and community preparedness.
Removing random bears from the landscape does not address the causes of conflict. In some cases, it can increase conflict by disrupting stable populations and removing older bears that naturally avoid people. Grizzly bear encounters are most often the result of human expansion into bear habitat, not increasing bear numbers.
Research has consistently shown that bear spray is more effective than firearms in deterring aggressive bear encounters. Studies found that bear spray stopped “undesirable bear behaviour” in over 90% of incidents, while firearms were effective only 76–84% of the time.
“If public safety is the concern, then the solutions should be promoting education and access to non-lethal deterrents alongside hiring dedicated conflict officers, not killing a threatened species,” said Spizzirri.
Notably, Alberta has not implemented its own recovery plan, including the hiring of Human-Wildlife Coexistence Specialists for each of the province’s seven GBMUs. The plan also includes data collection for all population units in the province.
Economic comparisons show that bear viewing generates significantly more revenue and employment than bear hunting.
A 2014 peer-reviewed study in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest found that bear viewing generated 12 times the annual revenue and 45 times more employment than bear hunting:
In Yellowstone National Park, each individual grizzly bear contributes an estimated 46,000 USD per year in viewing-based tourism revenue. Bear viewing provides a sustainable source of revenue, whereas trophy hunting provides a one-time profit.
“Alberta has the opportunity to support its own economy in a more impactful and sustainable way by investing in grizzly-viewing, ecotourism, and wildlife-friendly land use, rather than resurrecting hunting of a threatened species,” said Spizzirri.
EWC, along with other conservation organizations, have repeatedly raised concerns about a pattern of wildlife-related decisions made without meaningful public consultation or adequate transparency. These concerns have intensified in light of the ethics complaint filed, which outlines potential conflicts between the Minister’s public role and his private affiliations with the outfitting sector.
To date, the Alberta government has not responded to multiple open letters urging transparency and alignment with scientific evidence in wildlife regulation changes.
“Albertans deserve wildlife policy that is grounded in science and free from private influence,” Spizzirri said. “The public expects responsible leadership, not decisions shaped by a narrow set of interest groups.”
EWC is urging Albertans to:
Only 8 percent of Albertans support hunting animals for sport. The Minister’s rhetoric does not reflect public values or scientific best practices.
“We’re not asking the government to put their heads in the sand,” Spizzirri concluded. “We’re asking them to lift their heads up and look at what’s working: science-based coexistence, non-lethal deterrents, and ecotourism that benefits both wildlife and Albertans. We’re asking that they consider what Albertans actually want and need when the data shows that only 8% favour hunting for sport.”
There is currently no scientific evidence that hunting bears is necessary from an ecological perspective.
Exposed Wildlife Conservancy is a registered Canadian charitable organization committed to advancing science-based wildlife stewardship and promoting coexistence with large carnivores such as grizzly bears, wolves and cougars across Western Canada. Our work focuses on public education, coexistence programs, community support, and evidence-based policy that protects both human safety and ecological integrity. We collaborate with conservation groups, scientists, educators, and rural communities to strengthen approaches that reduce conflict and support long-term species recovery.
Maggie Spizzirri, Executive Director
Exposed Wildlife Conservancy
mspizzirri@exposedwildlifeconservancy.org
www.exposedwildlifeconservancy.org
@exposdwc
