Majority of Registered Hunters in British Columbia Oppose the "Sport" Hunt

On Wednesday , a series of ads are being released in BC's major newspapers marking the countdown to the unpopular trophy hunt in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Public poll results show that the "sport" hunt of bears is opposed by nearly 80% of British Columbians, as well as Coastal First Nations and a majority of registered hunters. The ads are endorsed by tourism businesses, local and international conservation groups and coastal First Nations representing 20 million people from over 40 countries.

International Network of Groups Call on B.C. Liberals to End the Trophy Hunt of Bears in The Great Rainforest.

"Unless the BC government acts quickly grizzly bears are about to be killed in our parks and conservancy areas in the internationally celebrated Great Bear Rainforest," said Ian McAllister from BC-based

Pacific Wild. "In the spectacular Kwatna river, just a few miles from where I live, four grizzlies were killed for trophy in 2009 - and two of them were females - what kind of sport involves killing female grizzly bears?"

Last week three B.C. environmental groups released a report showing that grizzly bears are at risk because of habitat destruction in the Great Bear Rainforest. They accuse the B.C. Liberals of failing to enforce sustainable logging practices.

Facts:

In 2001, Premier Gordon Campbell overturned a moratorium on the trophy hunting of grizzly bears. Since then, over 2,000 grizzly bears have been killed for sport in B.C.

The globally rare white Kermode bear is protected from hunting, but the black Kermode, that produces white offspring is subject to open season trophy hunting in over 98 percent of its natural range.

A 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll showed that nearly 80 percent of British Columbians are opposed to the trophy hunt of bears. Science, ethics and economics were given as reasons.

The trophy hunt threatens tourism-based bear viewing businesses, which generate considerably more revenue in B.C. than bear trophy hunting.

Coastal First Nations are opposed to the trophy hunt of bears in their traditional territories.

Courtesy: World – Wire

- Asian Tribune -