From: Barb Murray Sent: April-16-14 9:35 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Posting my Reply on Bearsmatter.com to FLNR Form Letter re: Trophy Killing of Grizzlies in BC
Hello Mr. Ethier,
As you know I have been a bear conservationist, advocate and enthusiast for many years, first starting out working with and advocating for black bears on the North Shore in 2001 and then advocating for black bear rehabilitation on the Lower Mainland and then for Grizzly Bear rehabilitation in the North. I am happy to say we have made much progress in those areas since I began volunteering to help bears.
I have learned much about bears over the years and the more I have learned, the more abhorrent the killing for ‘the thrill’ of grizzly bears is to me. It must end soon!
There is no ethical, economic or scientific rationale to kill our top predator species for ‘recreation, pleasure, or for a trophy’. We know that grizzlies will not overpopulate especially taking into account all the negative environmental factors and the ever increasing human development. There is only one way for the population of grizzlies to go in this province if the trophy hunt and negative attitude by wildlife authorities in this province persists. The very least that we can do for the grizzlies is ‘view them from a safe distance’ and leave them alone in the last remaining wilderness spaces in the province. Of course the biggest challenge of all is to protect grizzly bear habitat properly, now and into the future. That should be the priority mandate of your office on this file, not the ‘lotto grizzly game played twice a year’ by your ministry.
Many things in life have a greater value than an economic one and I feel sorry for anyone who has to continually ignore public opinion, science, ethics and their own conscience to do their job. I feel our society is heading down a very destructive path and it is our wildlife that is first being sacrificed and then we will be next? If mankind does not wake up and start governing and stewarding with some intelligence and foresight what will this planet look like for the next generation and the generation after that?
Sincerely,
Barb Murray Nanoose Bay, BC
