Dear Editor:
As a B.C. resident and avid hunter I was shocked to learn about the Guide-Outfitters Association of British Columbia’s proposal to reduce my hunting opportunities in favour of foreign big game trophy hunters.
Like many British Columbians, I rely on hunting to feed my family, so this proposal basically takes food out of our freezer.
Over the years, there’s been steady erosion in the number of hunting permits granted to British Columbians.
More than 70,000 B.C. hunters apply for 13,000 lottery licenses to hunt moose annually, so only one in five hunters gets to hunt moose every year.
Most provinces and U.S. states limit foreign hunters to five to 10 per cent of wild game allocation.
But the Guide-Outfitters Association of B.C. is pushing to increase that limit to 25 to 40 per cent in B.C., which is unprecedented in North America.
There has to be a reasonable balance between residents’ access to hunting to provide organic, wild meat for their families and foreign trophy hunters desire to pursue wild game in this province.
I would like to see a fair wildlife hunting allocation with 90 per cent going to British Columbians and 10 per cent going to foreign trophy hunters and the outfitters who guide them.
I encourage all British Columbians to write their local MLA and let them know that B.C.’s wildlife is a public resource and not for sale.
Brian Fodey
Penticton
