National Post (National Edition)
B.C. ends grizzly bear hunt
VANCOUVER • Hunting of grizzly bears has been banned in British Columbia, a move guides complain will put them out of business while environmentalists say it is long overdue.
B.C. Forests Minister Doug Donaldson said public consultations have made it clear that killing grizzlies cannot be allowed, with the exception of First Nations who hunt for treaty rights or for food, social and ceremonial reasons.
“It is no longer socially acceptable to the vast majority of British Columbians to hunt grizzly bears,” Donaldson said Monday.
The spring hunt was scheduled to open in April, but the ban for both resident and non-resident hunters took effect immediately.
There are an estimated 15,000 grizzly bears in the province, which Donaldson said is a sustainable population.
In August, the provincial government announced a ban on trophy hunting across all of B.C., which came into effect following the close of the fall hunting season on Nov. 30.
The government issued about 1,700 grizzly bear permits in 2017, mostly to B.C. hunters. Around 300 bears are killed in the hunt every year, about 250 of which are taken by non-First Nations hunters.
Rachel Forbes of the Grizzly Bear Foundation applauded the ban, which she described as a welcome surprise. “The easy decision is done,” she added. “Now the hard work on addressing all the other cumulative threats to grizzly bears, such as habitat loss and food supply, has to begin.”
Joe Foy of the Wilderness Committee called the ban tremendous news. “We are grateful that the government has finally stepped up to do what the people have asked for, which is an end to this barbaric, bloody sport hunt,” Foy said in a release.
Monday’s announcement came two months after B.C.’s auditor general released a report calling for a more robust wildlife management strategy for grizzlies. The report noted a lack of population monitoring and described habitat loss as the No. 1 threat.
The repercussions for the hunting and guiding industry will be significant, said Scott Ellis of the Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. Some operators in rural B.C. will likely go out of business, he said.