Parks Canada says 84 deer were shot and killed this month as a part of a controversial program to eradicate an invasive population from Sidney Island.

Residents of the private island voted narrowly in February to support the deer kill, which Parks Canada said is necessary to protect the island’s ecosystem. However, there has been vocal opposition from others on the island who feel the measure is not needed and could be inhumane.

In a media release Tuesday, Parks Canada said during Dec. 1 and Dec. 11, three “highly trained, certified marksmen used globally supported methods to humanely reduce the deer population” on the island.

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