Photo: Carlos de la Rosa

The application for a Scientific Collection Permit submitted in August of 2023 with the goal of eliminating 100% of the deer on Catalina Island raises significant concerns. The proposed eradication plan deviates from the traditional purpose of a Scientific Collection Permit, which is intended for small-scale research or academic endeavors rather than species eradication.

The historically issued permit for complete eradication of a species is called a “depredation” permit. The repeated denial of previous depredation permit applications speak to the inability to justify such an extreme plan to the agency charged with making balanced and informed decisions.

Moreover, the absence of concrete data regarding the actual number of deer on the island, along with questionable eradication methods using AR-15’s from helicopters, leaving the majority of the dead carcuses to rot where they lay, present notable red flags. The lack of consideration for the potential impact on other species and public safety concerns, further underscore the inadequacies of the application.

Given the unprecedented nature of the proposed permit and the deficiencies in the application, it is evident that approving such a plan could establish a problematic precedent and should be subject to thorough scrutiny and evaluation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.