BY MIKE STEVENS
LOS ANGELES – A major legal hurdle standing in the way of the plan to eradicate deer from Catalina Island has been cleared. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge dismissed the remaining claims in a lawsuit brought against state wildlife officials, paving the way for a controversial plan to eliminate the island’s entire mule deer population.
The legal battle was mounted by a coalition of hunting advocates and animal rights groups, including Safari Club International (SCI), who challenged the permit granted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Opponents raised objections under the California Environmental Quality Act, arguing against public notice procedures and questioning the state’s oversight. However, the court systematically rejected these arguments, concluding that state wildlife officials acted fully within their legal authority.
Before settling on full eradication, environmental managers weighed non-lethal population controls, but ultimate evaluation determined that alternative measures were unfeasible across Catalina’s rugged terrain.
There was also a claim made by Catalina Island Conservancy that recreational hunters could not effectively manage the herd (even if restrictions were loosened allowing easier access to those hunts) because of challenges presented by the landscape. This despite the fact that recreational hunters act as wildlife management tools on a national level, including within some of the most extreme topography in North America. As a result, the decision was made to pay professional hunters to eradicate the herd rather than paving the way for recreational hunters to pay to do it.
“SCI disagrees with the court’s decision,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “We’re disappointed because the public deserved a transparent process. The fact is that out of more than 100 permits issued under this program, only the Catalina Island Conservancy received different treatment. For a project that would completely eliminate a long-established deer population, we believe a full environmental review and greater public scrutiny were not just appropriate, they were necessary.”
Catalina now aligns with neighboring Channel Islands in completing large-scale invasive mammal removals.
“At its core, this case is about whether the public was given a voice before an entire deer population was slated for removal,” Hamberlin said. “We believe decisions with consequences this significant demand transparency, accountability, and a hard look at the science. Californians deserved a full review and open process. SCI is evaluating appellate options and will continue fighting for a fair and transparent approach to wildlife management.”
