Former two-term Kootenay East MLA Tom Shypitka is continuing his fight to make the B.C. government wake up to the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

“As the former MLA for Kootenay East, I had the opportunity to address the wildlife issue in our province head-on. One of my biggest warnings for the past four years has been the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease.  I worked with all wildlife stakeholder groups and fully supported the latest CWD management strategy as presented by regional biologists,” Shypitka stated on social media Nov. 22.

“My efforts received complete $400,000 support from my former party. It was also part of a larger package of $200 million going toward a complete wildlife and habitat strategy for our province. This is what is needed.

“To this date no political party has adopted these same commitments and I am calling on all parties to push this forward.”

Shypitka also called out for any MLA to “promote my private member’s bill to legislate an independent funding model for wildlife and habitat. This is critical and we were so close to getting this done. This cannot slide.”

And as the cases of CWD discovered in B.C. have all been found in the Cranbrook area, Shypitka said he is calling on Cranbrook city council to “initiate a city-wide cull, sterilization, hazing, translocation program on urban deer and for the province to give financial support as well as autonomy to city government to set the cull limits.

“This is not a silver bullet solution and has to be part of a holistic strategy but the science is crystal clear that no action is of great harm to communities, wildlife sustainability and public health,” he stated.

e-KNOW file photo

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