4th moose cull underway in Cape Breton Highlands

There are signs that a controversial moose cull in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park is having the desired effect, according to Parks Canada.

A fourth annual cull began this week on a 20-square-kilometre section of North Mountain.

"The best way to gauge the impact is through what happens to the vegetation," said Rob Howey,resource conservation manager for Parks Canada.

The cull is part of the agency'sBring Back the Boreal pilot project, which launched in 2014 to experiment with techniques for restoring the park's boreal forest to its natural state.

2 moose per square kilometre

As of the last survey in 2015, it was estimated there were about 1,800 moose in the park about twoper square kilometre. In recent decades, those moose have played a role in reducing former stands of fir and spruce to grasslands.

"What we're trying to do is give the area a chance to breathe, give a chance for those young trees to grow up past the browse lineand allow the forest to come back," said Howey.

Mi'kmaq hunters have harvested 122 moose from North Mountain over the past three years of the cull.

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There are early indications the strategy is working, Howey told CBC Radio'sInformation Morning on Thursday.

"We've actually seen some statistically significant decrease in browse twigs on North Mountain," he said.

"To put thatin perspective, when we started the project, over 50 per cent of the trees were significantly browsed. And now we're almost up to plots showing 90 per cent or better unbrowsed. So the trees are getting a chance to grow."

Current cull may not be the last

This is the final year of the pilot project. But given that it will take years for the forest to recover, Howey doesn't rule out future culls.

"No decisions have been made past this year," he said. "We're going to look at all the options."

The culls have sparked demonstrations in past years, with protesters blocking part of the Cabot Trail leading into the parkand confronting hunters.

This year's harvest began Wednesday and could run until Dec.3. There have been no protests so far, said Howey.

He said Parks Canada has been having positive discussions with local communitiesand those will continue after theproject comes to an end.

"We're going to work together with communities, stakeholders, partners to determine the best course of action moving forward, and how we're going to help bring that forest back."