The grizzly bear trophy hunting ban by the BC government is leaving the Liberal opposition a little bit confused.
That’s according to Forests Critic John Rustad, who believes it’s odd the NDP are announcing this policy before even talking with those affected.
“When you look at the impacts of the wildfires in the Cariboo, many of the ranchers are also guides. They rely on being able to take some people out to generate a little bit of revenue, and with the decline in moose populations, grizzly is one of the significant opportunities that they have left.”
He says the orange party should’ve consulted with groups on both sides of the issue, which includes hunters, outfitters, and guides.
Rustad also claims BC has a healthy grizzly population and there’s plenty of room for tourism and sport.
“We know we need to be able to manage species based on science, which means, at some point, when you have an over-population of grizzlies, hunting is recognized as the best tool for helping manage species. It is recognized by the United Nations.”
He’s also not aware of how popular grizzly meat is in BC, which, according to the government’s new policy, hunters are still allowed to consume.
The ban officially takes effect on November 30th.