BCWF INFORMATION FOR ACTION
TO BCWF clubs and members
February, 2011
To all BCWF members:
Re: Regulation Proposal not Supported by Science
Our Provincial Government is currently reviewing a proposal made by Turning Point initiative on behalf of several North and Central Coast FNs, with funding from anti-hunting organizations to purchase and retire some guide licenses (commercial quota) for grizzly bears and require mandatory meat removal for all grizzly bears harvested on the central coast. These proposed regulation changes are a dramatic departure from science-based management, are precedent setting as a serious denial of established science-based management policy province wide and are not acceptable to BCWF members. This is not just an issue solely of hunters or wildlife management, but one of conservationists and British Columbians.
Over the past 20 years anti-hunting organizations have funded “Ban Bear Hunting!” and other media blitz’s in hopes of closing grizzly bear hunting in British Columbia. In the ‘90s the argument was over science, that discredited government estimates asserting they were far too high and that grizzly hunting was not sustainable. When an independent Peer Scientific Panel was formed, a review conducted and presented by a team to European Union representatives government estimates were found to be reasonable and increased in many areas.
When cause-based science failed, anti-hunting groups purchased guide-outfitter territories with plans of stopping bear hunting on the coast. Unbeknownst to those groups, however, policy dictates if guide-outfitters do not use their allocation of the resource it is transferred to resident hunters.
Since the purchase of the guide license by preservationists were unsuccessful at stopping the hunt, anti-hunting organizations have pursued another direction: This involves paying for FN support to demand a change in policy that all commercial quota allowed to be retired, not transferred to resident hunters per policy. If government supports this move it would demonstrate that government does not follow its own policies, support science and does not support wildlife management in British Columbia. More importantly it would demonstrate that government can be swayed not by British Columbians but by a few anti-hunting organizations. In short, it puts political expedience of capitulation to “social argument” ahead of science-based management which have proven successful over time.
Your MLA is going to have input on whether government will accept socially demanded anti-hunting requests or follow its own policy, science and sound wildlife management. Your MLA is paid to represent you as a British Columbian and to carry your interests forward. Call, email and fax your MLA and the Minister of Natural Resource Operations to let them know you support wildlife management by science, the wildlife allocation policy and that caving to social pressure by anti-hunting organizations will not be tolerated by British Columbians.
On Jan 20, 2011 BCWF representation met with Minister of Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson in Victoria.
The points below were made then and are still valid now.
•BCWF members will not accept this proposal for this change in policy
•The “one off” principle of only implementing this policy in one small area of the Central Coast is not credible. Other FNs will make similar demands for other species in other places.
•Science-based wildlife management is solid and reliable, was developed with public input and served the Province well with the abundance we have today.
•Peer Scientific review has confirmed there is no conservation issue to justify the proposed regulation changes.
•The proposed changes cater to social argument and risk erosion of defensible science-based management.
At the meeting noted above the Minister definitely “got it” at our meeting with him on January 20. Our Wildlife & Allocations Committee chair, Wilf Pfleiderer submitted a brief on the issue for the benefit of the Minister. This brief can be requested by any club or member if they wish more in depth information on the matter.
MLA Bill Bennett has also strongly advised Minister Thompson to not make any decision on this important matter pending the election of a new Government Leader and formation of a new cabinet.
You are all strongly urged to take action on this matter.
Respectfully requested
Jesse Zemen
Acting Chair – Wildlife & Allocations Committee, BCWF
TO BCWF clubs and members
February, 2011
To all BCWF members:
Re: Regulation Proposal not Supported by Science
Our Provincial Government is currently reviewing a proposal made by Turning Point initiative on behalf of several North and Central Coast FNs, with funding from anti-hunting organizations to purchase and retire some guide licenses (commercial quota) for grizzly bears and require mandatory meat removal for all grizzly bears harvested on the central coast. These proposed regulation changes are a dramatic departure from science-based management, are precedent setting as a serious denial of established science-based management policy province wide and are not acceptable to BCWF members. This is not just an issue solely of hunters or wildlife management, but one of conservationists and British Columbians.
Over the past 20 years anti-hunting organizations have funded “Ban Bear Hunting!” and other media blitz’s in hopes of closing grizzly bear hunting in British Columbia. In the ‘90s the argument was over science, that discredited government estimates asserting they were far too high and that grizzly hunting was not sustainable. When an independent Peer Scientific Panel was formed, a review conducted and presented by a team to European Union representatives government estimates were found to be reasonable and increased in many areas.
When cause-based science failed, anti-hunting groups purchased guide-outfitter territories with plans of stopping bear hunting on the coast. Unbeknownst to those groups, however, policy dictates if guide-outfitters do not use their allocation of the resource it is transferred to resident hunters.
Since the purchase of the guide license by preservationists were unsuccessful at stopping the hunt, anti-hunting organizations have pursued another direction: This involves paying for FN support to demand a change in policy that all commercial quota allowed to be retired, not transferred to resident hunters per policy. If government supports this move it would demonstrate that government does not follow its own policies, support science and does not support wildlife management in British Columbia. More importantly it would demonstrate that government can be swayed not by British Columbians but by a few anti-hunting organizations. In short, it puts political expedience of capitulation to “social argument” ahead of science-based management which have proven successful over time.
Your MLA is going to have input on whether government will accept socially demanded anti-hunting requests or follow its own policy, science and sound wildlife management. Your MLA is paid to represent you as a British Columbian and to carry your interests forward. Call, email and fax your MLA and the Minister of Natural Resource Operations to let them know you support wildlife management by science, the wildlife allocation policy and that caving to social pressure by anti-hunting organizations will not be tolerated by British Columbians.
On Jan 20, 2011 BCWF representation met with Minister of Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson in Victoria.
The points below were made then and are still valid now.
•BCWF members will not accept this proposal for this change in policy
•The “one off” principle of only implementing this policy in one small area of the Central Coast is not credible. Other FNs will make similar demands for other species in other places.
•Science-based wildlife management is solid and reliable, was developed with public input and served the Province well with the abundance we have today.
•Peer Scientific review has confirmed there is no conservation issue to justify the proposed regulation changes.
•The proposed changes cater to social argument and risk erosion of defensible science-based management.
At the meeting noted above the Minister definitely “got it” at our meeting with him on January 20. Our Wildlife & Allocations Committee chair, Wilf Pfleiderer submitted a brief on the issue for the benefit of the Minister. This brief can be requested by any club or member if they wish more in depth information on the matter.
MLA Bill Bennett has also strongly advised Minister Thompson to not make any decision on this important matter pending the election of a new Government Leader and formation of a new cabinet.
You are all strongly urged to take action on this matter.
Respectfully requested
Jesse Zemen
Acting Chair – Wildlife & Allocations Committee, BCWF
