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Disappearance of spotted owl a national disgrace, Suzuki, Bateman sayMay 23, 2003 - VANCOUVER - It is a national disgrace that British Columbia has allowed the spotted owl – Canada’s most endangered bird species – to almost disappear, say Dr. David Suzuki and artist Robert Bateman upon learning that no more than 30 breeding pairs remain in the province. "I am shocked and angry to hear we have allowed this to happen," said Dr. Suzuki, Canada’s leading voice for environmental protection and an internationally renowned scientist and broadcaster. "While Washington, Oregon and California have taken heroic measures to ensure the survival of the spotted owl, the governments of Canada and British Columbia have done nothing except to now lament that this rare bird is on the verge of extinction in this province. It is disgraceful," he added. Mr. Bateman, acclaimed around the world for his depictions of wildlife and landscape, says he is embarrassed and saddened about the fate of BC’s northern spotted owl. "We are a country and a province known for natural splendour and blessed with an abundance of flora and fauna. Instead of protecting it for the treasure it is, over and over we squander it and put the financial bottom line first. It is tragic," he said. Provincial government researchers announced this week that their latest, and desperate, effort to stop the bird’s disappearance in BC failed when a female owl that had been captured so that she would survive the winter, died of starvation just 28 days after it was released into the forest near Manning provincial park, east of Vancouver. The fate of that bird should remind us how ignorant we are of basic biology and makes it obvious we must conserve pristine forests in order to learn from them, Dr. Suzuki said. The owl, named Hope by conservation officers, was the best chance of ensuring the survival of at least one 2002 chick in BC. Now, government researchers don’t know if any chicks will be born in BC, and because of government cutbacks they cannot do the necessary research to find out the bird’s current status here. "Americans recognized almost 10 years ago that stopping logging in old-growth forests was the only way the spotted owl would survive in their forests. This meant disruption to communities in the Pacific Northwest that depend upon logging and many people were upset, but U.S. officials acknowledged the importance of not allowing a species to go extinct and established compensation funds for those affected," said Dr. Suzuki. "Our governments have shown no leadership and look where we are today." While U.S. spotted owl populations are thought to be declining because the Bush administration is lifting conservation measures, officials estimate there are about 5,000 birds in the U.S. Pacific Northwest compared to under 100 in British Columbia. "The spotted owl is an indicator species that tells us about the state of the forest. In its historic range in southwestern BC, its survival indicated the probable fate of 71 old-growth forest-dependent species," Mr. Bateman explained. "This bird cannot survive without old-growth forest so this tells us a great deal about the amount of original forest left in this region. If the spotted owl can't make it in our province, what’s happened to all these other species that we don't have the money to study." It is vital that people understand that ecosystems like old-growth forests and the species they support are not a luxury, but essential for our physical, economic and spiritual well-being, said Dr. Suzuki. "The spotted owl is showing us that second growth is not a forest, but a plantation which is fundamentally different. When we liquidate old-growth forests we are opting for a one-time-only conversion of a complex ecosystem into a one-time-only financial transaction that in the long run will cost us dearly. "This is a shoddy legacy to leave for future generations. We claim to be a species that uses our brains to plan ahead and bases our work on rational decisions. But how can we cling to that notion when we are destroying forests without any real idea of what that means for the planet’s survival?" While it appears saving BC’s spotted owl may be virtually impossible, Dr. Suzuki and Mr. Bateman say British Columbians and Canadians must learn from this tragedy so that we do not continue to lose species, which will ultimately affect all of our lives. "The time has long passed that clearcut logging should have been banned in this province," said Mr. Bateman who lives on Saltspring Island. "We should only allow logging that is based on principles of ecosystem-based management so that our public forests are conserved for future generations." And although forestry is a provincial responsibility, the federal government should have intervened years ago because the spotted owl is such a rare species that is only found in British Columbia , they said. For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact
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