Hunters continue to take aim at a provincial policy regarding access to wildlife.
A rally against new allocations will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Premier Christy Clark’s constituency office in West Kelowna.
“With the new allocations, there will be even less opportunities for me and my fellow hunters in the area as the provincial government has decided to give more limited hunting entry tags to foreign trophy hunters via allocations to guide outfitters,” said Dena Sharkey, a Vernon resident who will volunteer at the rally.
“This is incredibly unfair. The foreign hunters are unable to even keep the meat from the animals they kill. They are simply out there to put a trophy on their wall. I fail to see how this benefits B.C. residents in any way, shape or form.”
Sharkey says most jurisdictions give non-residents five to 10 per cent of the wildlife allocation but B.C. now gives them 20 to 40 per cent.
“While foreign hunters with enough money can hunt moose every year in B.C., resident hunters must put in for lottery draws and must wait years to have the chance to fill their freezer with moose,” she said.
“Resident hunters spend more than $230 million a year on hunting related expenditures, $9 million on license fees and surcharges for conservation, and B.C. Wildlife Federation members donate more than 300,000 hours towards conservation projects every year.”
The number of B.C. hunters has grown from 84,000 to 102,000 during the past 10 years. The BCWF says the allocation rules could lead to 5,000 fewer hunting permits going to residents
“I apply for certain limited entry draws on a yearly basis, in order for a greater chance at filling my freezer. I have never been drawn,” said Sharkey,
“Had I been drawn for moose or mule deer doe this past fall, I’d have been able to cut my tags and wrap up my hunting season as early as October. But because I had to keep hunting until I could put meat in my freezer, I hunted through to December.”
Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA, says he has received some complaints about the allocations and he has talked to the Lumby and Vernon fish and game clubs.
“They have legitimate concerns but a whole lot goes into this (establishing allocations) such as the number of animals,” said Foster.
“I have taken the concerns to the minister and we will see where it goes from there.”
In a December interview, Forests Minister Steve Thomson said the allocations decision provides certainty for guide businesses, but also took away guides’ rights to pool regional game allotments and hunt in vacant guiding area.
“There are arguments over the number, depending on which base you use, and I expect those arguments will continue. At the end of the day we all want the same thing, which is healthy wildlife populations,” he said.
— with files from Black Press reporter Tom Fletcher
