WASHINGTON, DC – Government officials, bowing to the bluster of anti-hunters, have closed the hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia, Canada. This move ignores all sound science that supports a continuation of grizzly bear hunting in that Province.
Safari Club International (SCI) is actively pursuing a number of different avenues to address this pressing issue, including a call to base all wildlife management decisions on sound science that supports sustained use of those renewable resources.
In a letter to the Minister and Deputy Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, SCI stated, “We at Safari Club International are deeply troubled by the recent announcement of the closure of grizzly bear hunting in British Columbia. We feel this decision has been based on emotion and not science. Decisions of this magnitude must be made, using sound science-based conservation. There should have been stakeholder consultations before such drastic action was taken.”
The actions in British Columbia follow elections earlier this year when the anti-hunters’ influence became more prevalent in the government.
“Rather than an outright closure that will have many negative unintended consequences for society and the bears themselves, SCI recommends a simple regulation change that can ensure that all grizzly bears harvested be utilized by the hunter/outfitter, since that seems to be one of the sticking points. We feel that this regulation change will appease the majority of British Columbia residents, as well as being equitable for the industry and business-related constituents,” SCI stated in its letter to the British Columbia officials.
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Safari Club International – First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s approximately 200 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 106 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit www.safariclub.org or call (202) 543-8733 for more information.
