The Editor,
There has been considerable damage to the electric fence protecting the blueberry fields at 4400 Oliver Rd. in Coquitlam.
While I am not a fan of the electric fence around the farm or the positioning of it relative to the roadway and pathway to the dike, I recognize the effort on the part of the farmer to not only protect his crop but to minimize the need for him to protect it from bears by shooting them as the bears can cause significant damage to the bushes as well as eating the berries.
The vandalism that has occurred to the fence is not going to help anyone - especially the bears.
I can imagine the repairs needed to restore the integrity of the fence are not cheap and not something the farmer would be willing to undertake on an ongoing basis. Economically, the kill option is cheaper in the long run.
The way I see it, the fence needs to be fully functional and operational by the end of March at the very latest so that we don't get a repeat of 2012 - i.e., bears trapped in the fields behind the fence. I simply cannot imagine the Conservation Officer Service is going to make a habit of a yearly trip to tranquillize and remove bears from inside the fence back into the park area. The funding simply does not exist for that.
Although the fence is somewhat of an eyesore in the area, it is better than the alternative.
Philip Warburton, Port Coquitlam
