What’s the issue?
Effective 30 November 2017, a ban on the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia will come into effect.
Who is impacted by this issue?
During the 2017 election, both the NDP and the BC Green Party campaigned against trophy hunting in BC. Several polls were conducted and concluded that the majority of residents in this province oppose the grizzly bear hunt. The newly elected NDP/Green government followed through on this election promise. Those effected by the ban include residents of BC, tourists, bear viewing operators, guide outfitters, and wildlife management authorities.
What is the ideal?
The grizzly bear hunt in BC is carefully managed and sustainable. However, it is incompatible with bear viewing operations and despite some arguments, is largely a trophy sport where the animals are not hunted for sustenance. Most residents of BC and Alberta are comfortable with hunting activities whose intent is to provide food for their household. Less acceptable are hunting activities that are undertaken purely for pleasure and trophies. Wildlife management and harvesting is complicated and should be science-based however, this hunt in particular speaks to how British Columbians view and value their wildlife and this view largely does not include trophy hunting.
What role is the government currently playing?
Under the new ban, hunting grizzly bears for meat is still allowed but hunters will not be allowed to keep the head, the hide or the paws of the grizzly bear they kill. Consultation with First Nations groups, bear viewing and guide outfitter operations is still underway and will determine how regulatory and enforcement activities will proceed.
What role should the BC government play?
This controversial ban was based largely on public opinion rather than science and opponents of the ban will argue this point. However, while all resource decisions should be supported and backed up by rigorous science, there are times when they should also be guided by public opinion in order to appropriately reflect the ethical values held by the citizens who are responsible for the resource. Grizzly bear conservation will not be solved by banning the grizzly hunt. Further measures that address habitat loss, landscape fragmentation, and human-bear conflict require action. The Grizzly Bear Foundation released a report to the government this spring outlining the role grizzlies play in the ecosystem and how they should be better managed.
What is currently happening in Nelson-Creston?
- An Insights West Poll was conducted in March 2017 in order to find out whether the view on the trophy grizzly hunt in BC was split between urban and rural populations. It found that 74% of rural residents polled in BC opposed the hunt. In the East Kootenays, 65% of people polled opposed the trophy hunt and these numbers were similar in other regions of the province.
- Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence is a short documentary about the Kaslo based photographer and grizzly bear advocate
- West Kootenay based bear biologists Michael Proctor and Grant MacHutchon collaborate with others to conduct grizzly bear research for the Trans-border Grizzly Bear Project
What can you do to help Grizzly Bears?
- Read the 88 page report by the Grizzly Bear Foundation to learn more about Grizzly bears
- Become Bear Aware
- Purchase a Bear Proof Garbage Can for $240
- Install bear proof electric fencing on your property
