Media Release-BC Government Opens Controversial Trophy Hunt Season
Coastal grizzly and black bears targeted despite reports of missing bears
For Immediate Release
Sept 10, 2009
BELLA BELLA, B.C., CANADA – Today, the British Columbia government opens the Fall Trophy hunt for coastal Grizzlies and Black bears as alarms have been raised by conservationists that bears appear to be missing from key coastal watershed areas.
“This is appalling wildlife management,” states Ian McAllister of wildlife conservation group, Pacific Wild, “considering the widespread concern for coastal bears at the moment. A simple cancellation of the trophy hunt or even a delay until the status of our coastal bears is better understood would have been the prudent and precautionary measure to take.”
The B.C. North and Central coast experienced an unprecedented collapse of wild salmon returns last fall followed by an extremely long and cold winter. This combination of a lack of necessary food to fatten the bears and other wildlife in preparation for a severe winter may have contributed to the bears’ lack of reproductive success.Reports from the Alaskan panhandle down to the Bute Inlet indicate very few cubs of the year which is an important determination of the overall health of the bear population. Concern for the remaining bears’ ability to access salmon this fall continues due to the few returning CHUM salmon on the North and Central coast.
How Environment Minister Penner can simply ignore the eyes and ears of the coast that include so many experienced professionals is simply negligent. If the Ministry of Environment actually had biologists working in the field they would clearly be as concerned as we are having years of familiarity with the region and the wildlife that live within it.
Instead, this indicates that British Columbia being held hostage by the trophy hunting lobby,” states Ian McAllister of Pacific Wild. He goes on to question whether, “given the widespread concern and seriousness of the this issue, would it really have been such a difficult decision on the part of the Minister to cancel the hunt?”
Contact:
Ian McAllister,
Conservation Director
Pacific Wild
Email: ian@pacificwild.org Phone: 250-957-2480 Cell: 250-882-7246 www.pacificwild.org