Background
Canadian hunting regulations for migratory game birds are reviewed annually by Environment Canada, with input from the provinces and territories and a range of other interested stakeholders. As part of this process, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) produces three reports each year. The November report Population Status of Migratory Game Birds in Canada contains population and other biological information on migratory game birds, and thus provides the scientific basis for management. The December report Proposals to Amend the Canadian Migratory Birds Regulations outlines the proposed changes to the annual hunting regulations, as well as other proposed amendments to the Migratory Birds Regulations. Proposals for hunting regulations are developed in accordance with the Objectives and Guidelines for the Establishment of National Regulations for Migratory Game Bird Hunting (Appendix B). These two reports are distributed to organizations and individuals with an interest in migratory game bird conservation, to provide an opportunity for input to the development of hunting regulations in this country. The third report, Migratory Birds Regulations in Canada, issued in July, summarizes the hunting regulations for the upcoming hunting season.
The process for development of regulations in Canada requires that any changes be in the form of final proposals by early March of each year. That means that regulations must be set without the benefit of knowledge about the breeding conditions and production forecasts of the coming year. This does not usually present difficulties because the hunting regulations are based on trends over several years, but in some cases the results from recent harvest surveys or breeding population surveys conducted in May and June will indicate that changes in the national approach are needed to ensure conservation of migratory game birds. In this case, the Canadian Wildlife Service will issue a bulletin updating these regulations.
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