The Fragile Future of BC's Fishers feat. Rich Weir

Fishers – Pekania pennanti – are secretive, forest-dwelling members of the weasel family found across parts of British Columbia. But the Columbian population in BC's central interior is small, isolated, and facing serious pressure from habitat loss, wildfire and trapping. Rich Weir is a senior wildlife biologist with Artemis Wildlife Consultants who has spent much of his career studying fishers and other carnivores in British Columbia. His research has helped us better understand where fishers live, how their populations are connected, and what they need to survive. Rich Joined Defender Radio to talk about what makes fishers unique, what new genetic research is telling us about the Columbian population, and what needs to happen to help these animals recover. SHOW NOTES Episode art of Fisher in Olympic National Park (reintroduced from BC in 2008-10), by Jess Hoffman, National Park Service Learn more about Rich Weir, his publications and Artemis Wildlife Consultants: https://artemiswildlife.com/ Learn more about the BC Fisher Habitat Working Group: https://bcfisherhabitat.ca/ Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at [email protected], by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio). Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).