CBC: Future of B.C.’s grizzly trophy hunt uncertain as fall hunt approaches
A grizzly bear is seen fishing for salmon along the Atnarko river in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola, B.C. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4220550
NDP promised to end the controversial hunt, but few details on how and when the ban would be implemented Roshini Nair – CBC News July 25, 2017
The NDP promised to end B.C.’s grizzly bear trophy hunt, but with the September hunt rapidly approaching there are few details to explain how or when that would happen.
B.C.’s grizzly bear trophy hunt allows both resident and non-resident hunters to purchase a licence to hunt a grizzly bear for sport according to a predetermined quota.
License cost varies according to whether the hunter is a B.C. resident ($80) or not ($1000). Non-residents are also required to employ a registered guide outfitter. The trophy hunt takes place in the spring and fall.
Last November, Premier John Horgan made a campaign promise he would end the controversial hunt, promising full protection for the “majestic animals. “But with the hunt scheduled in September, the deadline to pass a ban is imminent.
Political flashpoint
The former Liberal government maintained the hunt has a positive economic impact — supporting local outfitters and tourist operations — and that the grizzly population is healthy enough to absorb the hunt.
Mark Werner, the vice-president of the Guide Outfitters Association of B.C., said the hunt is an important part of the province’s heritage. “This country and this province [were] built on trapping, hunting and fishing,” he said. “We have a lot of heritage here. We have a lot of culture here.”
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