Residents against controversial bear hunt proposal gather in Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla.- A controversial new proposal allowing the hunting of black bears in Florida for the first time in two decades is set for a final vote next week.

Members of the Southwest Florida community who strongly oppose the hunt gathered Wednesday night for a special meeting. The Sierra Club and the Humane Society want to educate the public on exactly what’s going to be happening in a few days and why it’s important.

There’s an estimated 3,000 black bears in the state of Florida. In 2012, they were taken off the state’s list of threatened species.

State wildlife commissioners are now considering allowing the bears to be hunted for one week a year in October. Hunters would be allowed to kill only one bear a year.

Proponents say it would help reduce bears coming into contact with humans. Bear-related calls have increased more than 400 percent in the last decade.

John Scott with the Sierra Club says the bears are not to blame and there’s no reason to punish them.

“The Florida black bear is distressed and their habitat is dwindling slowly as we continue to develop and I don’t think it’s fair to them, to just think that it’s a good idea to hunt them for sport because they’re already having enough trouble as it is,” said Scott.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials are taking the final vote on the proposal June 24.