Dear Sir:

     The animals rights and anti-hunting organizations are still working overtime in North America as well as in Europe. They have been doing this for some four decades, from when Brigitte Bardot started the campaign "Save The Seals". This was followed by the: save the wolf, save the bear, save the whale, save the musk rat and more campaigns. These campaigns have in general destroyed the world fur trade. Now, predator control is very controversial. It is not acceptable to kill an animal of one species for the benefit of an animal from another species. And it is completely unacceptable to kill just one wolf so that the hunter can get more deer to shoot.

     The effect of all this "saving" is starting to show. Our wild resources in several parts of North America are starting to get out of balance. On Vancouver Island, B.C., the wolves bears and cougars have destroyed the deer herd which has been reduced to about 50,000, only 20% of what it was a few decades ago. In the Canadian north, a caribou herd has been diminished to about 200,000, 50% of what it was a decade ago. In Alaska they are experiencing the same problems.

     In British Columbia the estimated black bear population is now more than 200,000 plus about 13,000 grizzlies. On top of that we have escalating populations of wolves and cougars. Similar problems are experienced in other Canadian provinces. Never the less, the antis during the last few years, have been able to persuade the politicians to close the spring bear hunt in two provinces. The result: a substantial increase in bear/human encounters.

     In the US, the antis are also pushing to have the bear hunting restricted. No hunting over bait and no spring hunting.

     It should be quite obvious to everybody that if these organizations are allowed to continue their work, the wildlife especially in areas with healthy predator populations will be completely destroyed.

     The US and their allied forces are fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in other parts of the World. However, It appears to me that the Environmental Terrorists of the World are a bigger threat. However, up til now, we have left them completely free to continue there destructive work.

     The IWMC World Conservation Thrust, which is promoting Sustainable Use of our Wild Resources, tells us that the result of the "Save The Seal" campaign has resulted in an increase in the harp seal population from 1.8 mill to something over 6 mill in the period from 1983 to 1997. At the same time the populations of some of the whale species have exploded. The effect of this is quite obvious. The seals have in general decimated the cod fish stock in the north Atlantic. In addition to this, the whales are now eating 2 to 6 times more fish per year than the industrial fishing fleet of the world is taken. The antis want us to believe that it is all due to overfishing. I guess they are right, but who is overfishing?

     It is amazing that this has been able to continue for so many decades. One would expect that fishing countries in western Europe, from Norway to Portugal, and the US and Canada would wake up and take action. However, the antis or the Eco Terrorists are still in full control. They have been able to educate the public, or shall we say brainwash the public and also the media into believing that leaving nature to itself is the right thing to do. Based on their "Save" campaigns, they have collected millions of dollars for their own benefits. The politicians who are in charge are elected out of the brainwashed public. Some of the politicians may even be paid by the terrorists.

     Yes, you may ask where am I heading? Well, I grew up in Scandinavia. I know what good public information/education about sustainable use of our wild resources means. In Scandinavia, they have the best wildlife management in the world. The antis have very little influence in Scandinavia. This became crystal clear to me after I in 1976 moved to British Columbia, Canada. In BC as well as in other Canadian provinces, wildlife management is all politic. Before the fur trade was destroyed, the predator populations in Canada were maintained at a sustainable level. The same could be said about the seal population.

     When the EU representatives in November 2001 voted to ban the importation of grizzly bear parts from BC, the FACE played a important role in providing the correct information to the representatives before the second and final vote. We are thankful for that. Quite obvious, it pays off to provide the correct information.

     I wonder, would it not be a task for FACE to spread the facts in Europe about sustainable use of our wild resources, wildlife, fish and whales? You could start with the EU representatives and spread to the general public. You also have the different national hunting organizations in Europe to draw on. There is no organizations like this in North America. We need to get the Europeans to again buy the skins of seals, bears, beavers, wolves and so on. In addition, they need to start the whale hunting again. If they do not want to do this, their fishing industries will collapse completely. This is already starting to happen in west Greenland and in the northern and eastern Canada. For sure, west Europe will follow. If you can change the trend in Europe, the US and Canada will follow.

     I have the feeling that most governments are afraid of opposing the antis such as Greenpeace and IFAW. To oppose them is to go against the public opinion, being politically incorrect. In fact you do not have to discuss with them. You do not negotiate with terrorists. You just give the facts to the public and it will understand that it has been brainwashed and then request proper action be taken. This would be a big blow to the terrorists. They would lose the economical base for their existence.

Regards and Happy New Year

Jorgen V. Jensen
3965 Sunset Blvd.
North Vancouver, B.C.
V7R 3Y4
Canada
Tlf: 604-985-0781