Wildlife Officials Hail Progress Toward Treaty Change, Ask for Patience from Hunters

Signatures yesterday in Washington, D.C., on amendments to a 79-year-old treaty are giant steps in progress for Alaskas subsistence hunters - the best news in decades - but the journey is not over yet, according to officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), the federal agency which has taken the lead in modifying the 1916 Migratory Bird Treaty between the U.S. and Canada.

"We still do not have the authority for a legal spring harvest of waterfowl, so we are asking hunters to be patient," said Dave Allen, regional director for the Service in Alaska. "This amendment process has been a long and challenging one. The end is in sight, but we are not home yet," he added.

Allen pointed out that the progress made has been shared by a broad coalition of partners who have worked hard to come this far. Those partners include members of the Alaska Native community, the governments of the U.S., Canada, the State of Alaska, and others.

Several steps are yet to be taken before a legal spring hunt can occur, according to Glenn Elison, the Services coordinator for Alaskas Western Ecoregion. Those steps include ratification of the treaty by the U.S. Senate and comparable modifications of the Migratory Bird Treaty with Mexico. The hunt would be governed by regulations, which must be prepared with the full cooperation of the governments involved, representatives of the Native community, and other interests, once the Senate ratifies the treaty.

"This is the most exciting process in subsistence hunting we have made in generations. All the partners are committed, and we are looking forward to finishing it together," said Allen.

FWS