Editor:
I applaud the Coastal First Nation communities for again standing up to our money-grubbing provincial government over the issue of trophy hunting grizzly bears. It seems our Liberal government can justify any disgusting practice, so long as it generates money.
The government underfunds the Conservation Officer Service and bear biologists but clearly supports the hunt despite the fact they have no way of obtaining “accurate and current” bear population numbers or have any method in place to properly enforce the “legal harvesting” of bears since there are no full-time Conservation Officers in the Great Bear Rainforest region.
Our government bases its trophy hunt using what is called “ghost” estimate numbers for bear populations, which are extracted from decade-old population studies.
Why are we so complacent in this province? Even though surveys indicate the majority of our citizens is against the hunt, only a hand full of First Nations, Pacific Wild and BC Coastal Bear and Wolf Patrol are willing to stand up against a so-called sport that caters solely to a group of elitist sociopaths that want a trophy for their wall. And because of that we all lose.
The same resources currently used by these hunters could be used by sustainable eco-bear tourism. The same bush planes, guides and outfitter camps would remain in business.
This would generate equal millions, perhaps even more, but it would require forward thinking which our government clearly lacks.
The time is now for us all to stand together and stop the senseless killing of one of BC’s most majestic creatures.
Dale Bakken
Williams Lake
