A ban on the grizzly bear trophy hunt in British Columbia and an end to all grizzly hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest will come into effect as of November 30th this year.
The trophy hunt ban means no one will be able to be in possession of a grizzly hide, head or paws. However, hunting for bear meat will be allowed to continue.
Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Doug Donaldson made the announcement today from Hazelton.
He says the NDP’s promise to end the hunt is supported by most people in BC.
“In particular, we owe it to generations past and future to do all we can to protect the beauty and uniqueness of the Great Bear Rainforest. We believe the action we’re taking goes beyond the commitment to Coastal First Nations made as part of the 2016 Great Bear Rainforest agreements.”
Donaldson says they’ll be consulting with small communities and those that will be impacted economically such as guide outfitters ahead of rolling out the ban.
“Part of the consultation process is working with local communities as well and the local business sector as far as the impacts and looking at transitioning and looking at how those impacts can be mitigated,” says Donaldson.
He also says they’ll be looking at what those that hunt for the meat of a grizzly will do with the head, paws and hide.
The announcement also comes with a commitment to start a Wildlife Management Strategy.
“The key elements of that strategy will include dedicated funding for wildlife and habitat conservation and a collaborative process in developing short and long-term plans for wildlife resources,” Donaldson said.
The province says there are an estimated 15,000 grizzly bears in British Columbia with approximately 250 taken each year by hunters.