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Media Contacts

Media Relations

Ministry of Forests, Lands,
Natural Resource Operations
and Rural Development
250 356-7506

Media Relations

Ministry of Environment
and Climate Change Strategy
250 953-3834

Backgrounders

Summary of grizzly bear engagement process

In August 2017, the Government of British Columbia made a public commitment to close the grizzly bear hunt in the Great Bear Rainforest and end grizzly bear trophy hunting in the remainder of the province after the 2017 fall grizzly bear hunt concluded on Nov. 30, 2017.          

Two policy intent papers were developed and made available to key stakeholder groups and First Nations for their input, and several meetings were held. A total of 4,180 emails were received. Very few respondents simply supported the ban on the trophy hunt as proposed. The majority of responses were from those requesting that government “ban grizzly bear hunting in all parts of the province”.

Emails and letters were also sent to wildlife stakeholders and non-government organizations involved in grizzly bear research and management. Several meetings were held with most of these organizations and some letters were also received. Many of the same issues that were raised during public engagement were also raised by stakeholders.

Emails and letters were also sent to more than 200 First Nations throughout the province regarding the grizzly bear trophy hunting ban. This included 41 First Nations that either overlap or are adjacent to the Great Bear Rainforest. Meetings were also set up with First Nations. Treaty First Nations will continue to be able to harvest grizzly bears and possess all parts of grizzly bears when the harvest is done, pursuant to treaty rights. 

Summary of Feedback - The issues raised, in descending order of frequency, included:

  • Hunt is no longer appropriate
  • Too many loopholes in the proposed regulations
  • Wasteful to leave anything behind after an animal is killed
  • Lack of significance of the meat hunt for grizzly bears
  • Economics of grizzly bear hunting
  • Hunting as a management tool
  • Population dynamics of grizzly bear
  • Need to focus on habitat management of grizzly bear
  • Urban/rural split around grizzly bear hunting
  • Hunting by First Nations
  • Lack of enforcement
  • Trophy terminology

A more comprehensive summary report is being prepared for later release.