VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Hunting grizzly bears as trophies could be a thing of the past if the New Democratic Party wins the provincial election in 2017.

 

BC NDP leader John Horgan says it’s time to put an end to the trophy hunting of this type of bear which is vital to the province’s tourism and identity.

 

“Bear viewing creates way more jobs, way more revenue, and if you take a picture of a bear over and over again, we can make revenue on that bear over and over again. If you shoot it once that’s the end of the day,” says Horgan.

 

The NDP has been working with various hunting stakeholders like the BC Wildlife Federation as well as local First Nation communities and even hunters.

 

“For the most part, hunters are going to be fine with the decision. They recognize that they don’t want to see a trophy hunt, but they do want people to recognize that hunting is a way of life in our province and many people do it, and they do it to fill their freezer,” says Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy, who adds she’s been working with all of her communities for years on the issue.

 

According to Joe Foy with the Wilderness Committee, around 340 grizzly bears are killed each year.

 

Though the ban would only apply to trophy kills, Foy says there’s hope for the future. “I want to see not a single grizzly bear killed in the province of British Columbia. I look at this as a policy that gets us there, but while I draw breath we will not rest until all hunting of grizzly bears ceases,” says Foy.

 

Activists say British Columbians have been pushing for this kind of ban for years, and they are happy to see this as a first step.

 

A provincial ban on the grizzly hunt was put in place back in 2001, but was overturned that same year. Horgan says the only way a trophy hunt ban would work is to put new policies in place, get more “boots on the ground” to enforce rules and regulations, and communicate with communities.