798 Highway 59, RR 3
Port Rowan, Ontario
N0E 1M0
April 20, 2012
Re: Proposal for a Tundra Swan Recreational Harvest - Update and Results of Survey
Dear Mr. J. Malcolm:
Further to my letter of March 05, 2011 regarding my proposal for a Tundra Swan recreational harvest in the Province of Ontario I am writing to provide you with some additional information including the results of the Tundra Swan survey following my presentation at the Annual General Meeting of the Long Point Waterfowlers Association (LPWA) last spring.
You may recall that Dr. M. Schummer (Biologist, Long Point Waterfowl) informed the LPWA members after my presentation that the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) will be conducting an assessment of having an Eastern Population Tundra Swan recreational harvest in the Province of Saskatchewan. Although I had received a personal e-mail earlier that morning confirming the CWS decision to conduct this assessment I was not aware of it until after I had returned home following the Annual General Meeting.
On January 13, 2012 I was further advised that the CWS assessment will include additional provinces but I was not advised which additional provinces would be included. I am pleased to inform you that I have recently confirmed that Manitoba and Ontario will be the two additional provinces included in the CWS assessment.
In my letter to Dr. S. Petrie (Executive Director, Long Point Waterfowl) of February 14, 2012 (a copy of which was provided to you) regarding the funding that currently is and will be available from The Dr. Jerome Katchin Waterfowl Foundation I had made reference to the results of the Tundra Swan survey which indicated a very strong support for such a harvest. Here are the details:
1) Sixty (60) informational Tundra Swan handouts including a Tundra Swan survey were handed out.
2) Twelve (12) completed Tundra Swan Surveys were returned ... indicating a 20% return rate.
3) Ten (10) individuals fully supported my proposal for a limited (tag only) recreational Tundra Swan harvest in the Province of Ontario ... indicating an 85% level of support.
4) Two (2) individuals were not fully committed to supporting my proposal at that time ... indicating a 15% level of conditional support. One individual stated that he would like to hunt Tundra Swans and would hunt Tundra Swans if Ontario had a special season for them but had concerns about what Dr. M. Schummer had stated at the Annual General Meeting and the other individual stated that he might be interested in hunting Tundra Swans if Ontario had a special season for them but had not given it much thought in the past.
5) Seven (7) of the ten (10) individuals who fully supported my proposal also supported a tag fee of $20.00 indicating a 70% level of support whereas the remaining three (3) individuals did not believe that there should be a fee for the Tundra Swan tag.
I was somewhat disappointed at the relatively low return rate of 20% and I discussed this with Mr. T. Worden (President, Ducks Unlimited Canada) after meeting him at the Long Point Waterfowlers Association fund raising dinner last fall. He suggested that I should be very pleased with the results of my Tundra Swan survey as one can normally only expect about a 10% return rate. The fact that I had received double the expected return rate for a survey of that nature with an 85% level of support was apparently very impressive.
Consequently, considering the level of support by the members of the Long Point Waterfowlers Association for my proposal for a limited (tag only) Tundra Swan recreational harvest in the Province of Ontario, perhaps the Board of Directors could consider formally supporting my proposal as Mr. T. Barrett (MPP, Haldimand-Norfolk) advised me last summer that this type of formal support would be very beneficial in making my proposal a reality.
In the meantime please be advised that my Tundra Swan proposal appears to have an even higher level of support from the majority of Ontario waterfowlers commenting on the Ontario Out of Doors' Hunt Ontario forum. I have also received support from waterfowlers from western Canada, Ohio (who have indicated that they would come to Ontario to hunt Tundra Swans) and Utah (waterfowlers hunt the Western Population of Tundra Swans).
I look forward from hearing from you regarding your support.
Sincerely,
J. Katchin, D.V.M.
Port Rowan, Ontario
N0E 1M0
April 20, 2012
Re: Proposal for a Tundra Swan Recreational Harvest - Update and Results of Survey
Dear Mr. J. Malcolm:
Further to my letter of March 05, 2011 regarding my proposal for a Tundra Swan recreational harvest in the Province of Ontario I am writing to provide you with some additional information including the results of the Tundra Swan survey following my presentation at the Annual General Meeting of the Long Point Waterfowlers Association (LPWA) last spring.
You may recall that Dr. M. Schummer (Biologist, Long Point Waterfowl) informed the LPWA members after my presentation that the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) will be conducting an assessment of having an Eastern Population Tundra Swan recreational harvest in the Province of Saskatchewan. Although I had received a personal e-mail earlier that morning confirming the CWS decision to conduct this assessment I was not aware of it until after I had returned home following the Annual General Meeting.
On January 13, 2012 I was further advised that the CWS assessment will include additional provinces but I was not advised which additional provinces would be included. I am pleased to inform you that I have recently confirmed that Manitoba and Ontario will be the two additional provinces included in the CWS assessment.
In my letter to Dr. S. Petrie (Executive Director, Long Point Waterfowl) of February 14, 2012 (a copy of which was provided to you) regarding the funding that currently is and will be available from The Dr. Jerome Katchin Waterfowl Foundation I had made reference to the results of the Tundra Swan survey which indicated a very strong support for such a harvest. Here are the details:
1) Sixty (60) informational Tundra Swan handouts including a Tundra Swan survey were handed out.
2) Twelve (12) completed Tundra Swan Surveys were returned ... indicating a 20% return rate.
3) Ten (10) individuals fully supported my proposal for a limited (tag only) recreational Tundra Swan harvest in the Province of Ontario ... indicating an 85% level of support.
4) Two (2) individuals were not fully committed to supporting my proposal at that time ... indicating a 15% level of conditional support. One individual stated that he would like to hunt Tundra Swans and would hunt Tundra Swans if Ontario had a special season for them but had concerns about what Dr. M. Schummer had stated at the Annual General Meeting and the other individual stated that he might be interested in hunting Tundra Swans if Ontario had a special season for them but had not given it much thought in the past.
5) Seven (7) of the ten (10) individuals who fully supported my proposal also supported a tag fee of $20.00 indicating a 70% level of support whereas the remaining three (3) individuals did not believe that there should be a fee for the Tundra Swan tag.
I was somewhat disappointed at the relatively low return rate of 20% and I discussed this with Mr. T. Worden (President, Ducks Unlimited Canada) after meeting him at the Long Point Waterfowlers Association fund raising dinner last fall. He suggested that I should be very pleased with the results of my Tundra Swan survey as one can normally only expect about a 10% return rate. The fact that I had received double the expected return rate for a survey of that nature with an 85% level of support was apparently very impressive.
Consequently, considering the level of support by the members of the Long Point Waterfowlers Association for my proposal for a limited (tag only) Tundra Swan recreational harvest in the Province of Ontario, perhaps the Board of Directors could consider formally supporting my proposal as Mr. T. Barrett (MPP, Haldimand-Norfolk) advised me last summer that this type of formal support would be very beneficial in making my proposal a reality.
In the meantime please be advised that my Tundra Swan proposal appears to have an even higher level of support from the majority of Ontario waterfowlers commenting on the Ontario Out of Doors' Hunt Ontario forum. I have also received support from waterfowlers from western Canada, Ohio (who have indicated that they would come to Ontario to hunt Tundra Swans) and Utah (waterfowlers hunt the Western Population of Tundra Swans).
I look forward from hearing from you regarding your support.
Sincerely,
J. Katchin, D.V.M.