Conservation group buys out hunting rights in B.C. rainforest to protect wildlife

[IronNoggin]

Robin Unrau is correct. This is nothing but a SCAM.
A scam supported by the current provincial government.
Hunting concessions in the Province mandate that the controlling interest offer and engage in actual hunts - or lose the concession.

The province is well aware of this, yet still support it.

Beyond SAD!

 

[MiG25]

As I said in the other thread, every other Tenure is "use it or lose it" and the Govt is supposed to treat everyone the same.

 

[hoytcanon]

Nothing better for a bear than a tasty ecotourist. This article made me curious as to how the ban is going on BC grizzly density. The 2022 report is from info in 2019, and Alberta records are even older. It seems Alberta encounters are up and I've heard rumours of opening up a season again. Probably coffee shop BS but what about BC? Numbers seem good enough for a few tags.

It has nothing to do with numbers... it never did.

 

[Desjard]

A certain user will be here shortly. I heard he likes Jagmeet.

 

[kamlooky]

Is this the new way to give back the land to them..........?
Not sure what term is legit now a days.
Help?

 

[barrett50cal]

…All they can buy is the tenure for guided hunting, resident hunting of legal game during hunting season and the other provisions in the BC Hunting Regulations are not affected by these licences.

Resident hunters continue to have the right to harvest game in these areas, subject to the regulations. This foundation will be the sole legal provider of guided hunts (almost exclusively non resident) in the territories they purchase and if they choose not to offer these hunts so be it, but they can not exclude resident hunters, even though they might try to do so with scare tactics.

…There will be little or no effect on resident hunting.

With all due respect, this perspective sounds like someone who consoles himself after his house was robbed by considering what was left behind, rather than what was stolen.

You may believe that nothing was even taken from you, since you live in BC and it doesn’t affect your ability to hunt there.

It might not matter much to BC residents that my sons, nephew and I can no longer fulfill our dream of hunting that part of Canada. When some of my guns were recently banned, there were those who similarly shrugged it off because they themselves were unaffected.

Unfortunately — and mark my words — resident hunting in that region will be the next thing targeted.

Anyone who has been paying attention knows that this is how they win. Their long game is to divide and conquer, boil the frog, and make incremental gains so that only a segment of gun owners or hunters grumble at any given time.

 

[barrett50cal]

It is a public relations exercise and a handy way out for the guide-outfitter because the only valuable guided hunts in that area were for grizzlies which are not legal to hunt any more anyway.

As mentioned, if a BC resident wants to hunt blacktails or black bear there, there is nothing stopping them except access. It is mostly boat only.

But to the general public who doesn't know the above, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation appears to have scored a major victory.

The only real victor is the outfitter who got $1.92 million for a worthless white elephant.

I suspect that in the history of people who died by a thousand cuts, most didn’t think it was all that bad after the first few cuts.

Let’s examine your claim that this is not a victory for the anti-hunters.

First, the dreams of many folks like me to hunt that region has now vanished. Bucketlist stuff stolen, from a great many hunters from Alberta to the Maritimes. Not just for ourselves but also for our sons and in turn, their sons.

This isn’t for a prescribed term or duration, it’s permanent. As long as the Rainforest Conservation Group persists as an entity and doesn’t transfer the certificates, they will remain the tenure holder in perpetuity. They can control (ie deny) hunting in the region effectively forever.

I read an interview with Scott Ellis from the Guide Outfitters Association of BC who said that almost $200 million came in annually, pre-pandemic. Much of that money trickled back to support hunting-related suppliers and businesses. Now, that so-called “white elephant” is gone, and 2500 people are out of hunting-related jobs.

The big slowdown in non-residential hunters from Canada, the US and Europe was as much (or more) to do with the pandemic as it was the moratorium.

It’s not for me to say that the operators should have weathered the storm but there is a cyclical nature to these things. The Ministry’s own data shows that a grizzly harvest is sustainable. A future government could very conceivably reverse the moratorium which swings like a pendulum anyway. But now, even if there is a future reversal, no one can hunt grizzly again in that area, ever.

There also seems to be some presumption that this is now over and done. I think it’s a strategic foothold to gain even greater position.

Once the First Nation agreements and development infrastructure for their ecotourism industry is set, it’s going to represent hundreds of millions in revenue. As sure as the sun rises in the morning, they will use the money to campaign against hunting in key constituencies, then pressure the province’s legislature to follow the will of the people and end resident hunting in the region for good.

By the way, to say that the victor here is the outfitter who got paid is like saying the victor of the OIC was the CSAAA after their backroom deal with Mendicino netted a Liberal payout of $700,000. Anyone who thinks this way should give their head a shake.

 

[IronNoggin]

Not correct. BC hunters must either be a BC resident and hold a valid BC Resident hunting licence or if a non resident of the province they must buy an expensive non resident licence and must be accompanied by a guide, either professional or a BC resident family member with a permit to guide this particular individual. Non residents may not hunt big game without a guide in BC.

Actually he is correct.
Permits To Accompany are NOT confined to family members in BC.
I have done this numerous times with Buddies from Saskatchewan and Alberta.
None were related to me - simply Buddies.

The potential issue here is that the Permit to Accompany is vetted by the Province.
My guess is that in function they will deny those in that particular area.

Cheers

 

[Evanguy]

Actually he is correct.
Permits To Accompany are NOT confined to family members in BC.
I have done this numerous times with Buddies from Saskatchewan and Alberta.
None were related to me - simply Buddies.

The potential issue here is that the Permit to Accompany is vetted by the Province.
My guess is that in function they will deny those in that particular area.

Cheers

Correct they need to be a permanent resident of Canada.


From the website

"Who can be accompanied
The applicant may apply for only one permit per season to take up to two people hunting, that meet ANY of the following definitions:

A non-resident – a person who is not a resident of British Columbia but who
is a Canadian Citizen, a permanent resident of Canada;

or,


has their sole or permanent residence in Canada and has resided in Canada for the 12 months immediately before the date of the application
A non-resident alien (a person who is neither a resident nor a non-resident) whose relationship to the applicant is one of the following:
Parent
Parent's sibling
Spouse
Spouse's sibling
Spouse's parent
Sibling
Sibling's child
Sibling's spouse
Child
Child's spouse
Grandchild
Grandparent
Cousin is not an accepted relationship

The person(s) being accompanied must also not have a conviction specified under section 84 (1) (a) of the Wildlife Act, within the 5-year period immediately preceding the application for a permit, or specified under section 84 (1) (b) of the Wildlife Act or the Firearm Act within the 3 year period immediately preceding the application for a permit."

 

[MD]

I suspect that in the history of people who died by a thousand cuts, most didn’t think it was all that bad after the first few cuts.

Let’s examine your claim that this is not a victory for the anti-hunters.

First, the dreams of many folks like me to hunt that region has now vanished. Bucketlist stuff stolen, from a great many hunters from Alberta to the Maritimes. Not just for ourselves but also for our sons and in turn, their sons.

This isn’t for a prescribed term or duration, it’s permanent. As long as the Rainforest Conservation Group persists as an entity and doesn’t transfer the certificates, they will remain the tenure holder in perpetuity. They can control (ie deny) hunting in the region effectively forever.

I read an interview with Scott Ellis from the Guide Outfitters Association of BC who said that almost $200 million came in annually, pre-pandemic. Much of that money trickled back to support hunting-related suppliers and businesses. Now, that so-called “white elephant” is gone, and 2500 people are out of hunting-related jobs.

The big slowdown in non-residential hunters from Canada, the US and Europe was as much (or more) to do with the pandemic as it was the moratorium.

It’s not for me to say that the operators should have weathered the storm but there is a cyclical nature to these things. The Ministry’s own data shows that a grizzly harvest is sustainable. A future government could very conceivably reverse the moratorium which swings like a pendulum anyway. But now, even if there is a future reversal, no one can hunt grizzly again in that area, ever.

There also seems to be some presumption that this is now over and done. I think it’s a strategic foothold to gain even greater position.

Once the First Nation agreements and development infrastructure for their ecotourism industry is set, it’s going to represent hundreds of millions in revenue. As sure as the sun rises in the morning, they will use the money to campaign against hunting in key constituencies, then pressure the province’s legislature to follow the will of the people and end resident hunting in the region for good.

By the way, to say that the victor here is the outfitter who got paid is like saying the victor of the OIC was the CSAAA after their backroom deal with Mendicino netted a Liberal payout of $700,000. Anyone who thinks this way should give their head a shake.

Well, if you wanted to hunt grizzly on the central coast, that is banned since 2017 anyway, whether or not The Rainforest Conservation Group bought the guide outfitter tenure.

If you want to hunt the BC coast for black bear, blacktail or elk there are plenty of guide outfitters on Vancouver Island and the mainland coast who could accommodate you.

 

[Ashcroft]

Correct, my error, the relative requirement only applies to non residents of Canada. Many years since I went this route. In any case, this group now has a foot in the door but most of the house isn’t included. The affected area is a very small percentage of this vast province, prospective hunters looking for Sheep, goats, moose, elk, caribou, mule or white tail deer will see little effect. Grizzly is off the table anyway and black bear are so common they’re a pest in many areas. And under the terms of the guiding leases, the licence holder can not use the area for other purposes like mining, logging, agriculture. They can likely use it for guided eco tourism. These tenures don’t come with the improvements such as cabins, lodges, air strips, docks, barges, etc., these belong to the current licence holder. I wonder how many of these will survive? I also wonder where this group will find real hands on people capable of maintaining these off the grid establishments?
I see this as a stepping stone, I’m sure in my mind that our federal and our provincial governments have long term plans to turn over the management of both hunting and fisheries to our native peoples in settling multiple land claims, a process already begun in some areas of the province. Then maybe guided grizzly hunts will come back, with different guides.

 

[IronNoggin]

Some of The Most Nonsensical Biased "reporting" you will ever see.
Watch the label tossing - heart string tugging video to see what I mean.

https://www.cheknews.ca/conservation-group-buys-out-hunting-rights-in-b-c-rainforest-to-protect-wildlife-1184545/