Killing black bears drawn to bee hives costs firm $40,000
Case among recent enforcement actions cited in environment ministry report
A commercial pollinating company has agreed to pay $40,000 for shooting two black bears attracted to its honey bee hives on a blueberry farm in Pitt Meadows.
Caspian Aviaries was contracted to set up the bee hives to pollinate blueberry fields, but over time “bears were causing damage to the hives” and were killed, according to the Ministry of Environment’s latest quarterly summary report on environmental offenders.
The case against Caspian was diverted from the traditional criminal court system to a community environmental justice forum. There the company agreed to make $40,000 in upgrades to its operation to ensure that bears are deterred and to pay for a portable electric fence for Wild safe BC, a program of the B.C. Conservation Foundation designed to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.
In comparison, a Squamish man who illegally shot a grizzly bear near Pemberton was fined $10,000 in 2013.
Caspian also agreed to “speak to the Katzie Nation youths on bee husbandry and apiaries coexisting with bears,” and offer training to other beekeepers on proper prevention measures. The company also agreed to make a public apology in a local newspaper.
Participants in the forum included a director from the blueberry farm, two elders from the Katzie First Nation, a representative from Wild safe BC, and a provincial apiculturist from the Ministry of Agriculture. Ministry of Environment spokesman David Karn said the Katzie were involved in the forum because the bears were killed within their traditional territory and because “the bear is a spirit animal” for their people.
The Katzie community suggested that Caspian Apiaries do an educational talk for their youths to explain the importance of bees and to provide guidance on how to become involved in beekeeping.
No one at Caspian Apiaries could be reached to comment. According to provincial corporate records, the company’s president is Hossein Yeganehrad. The company website says he comes from a long line of beekeepers in Iran.
Other enforcement actions listed in the ministry ’s latest quarterly report:
Teck Coal and Maxam, an explosives ■ company, were each found guilty of introducing business waste into the environment. Teck pays $200,000, $195,000 of that to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, while Maxam pays $150,000, with $145,000 to the foundation. In July 2014, five sheep were found dead at Teck’s Greenhills coal facility. The sheep had ingested blasting materials.
Domtar Inc. and Seaspan, a total ■ of $35,000 for failure to comply with a remediation order regarding a high-risk contaminated site.
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., $10,500 ■ for failure to comply with permit requirements that impose effluent discharge limits regarding toxicity and dissolved aluminum levels.
Davids Tea, $22,000 for not ■ meeting requirements under the Recycling Regulation, which requires producers of Blue box recyclables to take responsibility for the life-cycle management of their packaging and printed paper products.
Dairy like Farms, Delta, a remediation ■ order due to the unau
thorized placement of fill for the construction of cranberry bogs, dikes, and a reservoir on property within the agricultural land reserve.
In comparison, a Squamish man who illegally shot a grizzly bear near Pemberton was fined $10,000 in 2013.