NISKU, Alberta, Feb. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) is hosting a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Symposium on April 1-2, 2020 in Nisku, Alberta.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion disease that affects the nervous systems of animals in the cervid family. CWD was first detected in Alberta in 2002. In samples tested by Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) in 2019, CWD was detected in 500 mule deer, 74 white-tailed deer, and one moose.

There is no known cure for CWD and no definitive control strategy for addressing CWD. The CWD Symposium will bring together government, wildlife managers, outfitters, hunters, ranchers, and other stakeholders to explore different jurisdictions’ approaches to managing CWD as well as some of the most current science on the disease.

“CWD has been detected in wild animals in 24 American states and 2 Canadian provinces. APOS sees this as a serious concern for our industry and all Albertans. We have gone to great lengths to arrange this symposium to help understand the latest trends and most practical solutions from across the continent and beyond,” states President, Corey Jarvis, “We look forward to learning more about the latest scientific data and practical applications and how these different jurisdictions are working with their stakeholders and attempting to manage the disease.”

Members of the public are welcome to attend. Event tickets are available online through Eventbrite, with early bird rates in place until March 16, 2020. Special ticket pricing is available for students and the media.

For more information, please call 780-414-0249 or email info@apos.ab.ca.

About Us
Alberta’s outfitters were some of the earliest pioneers of the tourism industry in our province, with the first guided hunts taking clients into Alberta’s rugged backcountry in the late 1800s. The Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) became the delegated administrative organization for the outfitting industry in Alberta in 1997, issuing permits and managing allocations on behalf of the Government of Alberta. Today our society represents 500 professional outfitters and nearly 1,600 hunting guides, creating a total economic contribution of $328 million annually.