Burns Lake is all set to get its own Compulsory Wildlife Inspector.
“Once I complete training for a new inspector on Oct. 7, Burns Lake will have a compulsory inspector. So hunters will not need to travel to Smithers or Vanderhoof to get their harvested moose, or other required wildlife, inspected,” wrote Krystal Kriss, a wildlife biologist with the Ministry of Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
As per an order released by the ministry last month, under the British Columbia Wildlife Act and hunting regulations, hunters in the region 6-1 to 6-11 hunting moose, would need to get a compulsory inspection done from the provincial inspector. Burns Lake falls under the Skeena region for the purposes of the hunting inspection according to the provincial map. However, hunters in Burns Lake were allowed to travel to Smithers or even Vanderhoof to get their kill inspected. With the new inspector in place, the hunters will no longer need to travel all the way to other communities.
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This wildlife inspection is being done for collecting data on the various species and to ensure proper enforcement. The inspection would however not extend to First Nations. According to Kriss, Compulsory inspection inspectors offer a first screening to determine the legality of the harvested animal and collect information on the harvest of that animal like date of kill, location of kill, biological samples and features of that animal.
Recording the hunter number and species tag for wildlife harvested, the guide declaration/LEH authorization when applicable, taking photos of the wildlife, determining the legality of the animal, reading a map grid locations for recording the location of kill, measuring and collecting various biological samples like teeth, hair, horn measurements, etc, completing alleged non compliance forms to pass onto the regional biologists and/or COS are some of the things that the inspector is taken through during the training period.
Kriss said that inspector for the Burns Lake area will be one Mike Philip, who can be reached on 250-692-6634, and would be available after his training, by appointment only. According to Kriss, the information on the new inspector would become available on the provincial website by mid-month. Hunters are encouraged to call the Front Counter BC office in Smithers for information (250-847-7260).
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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