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The recent promotion that was placed in newspapers across BC by the Guide Outfitters Association of BC (GOABC) has spawned a lively and emotional discussion on HuntingBC.ca.
In January 2009, GOABC presented a paper titled The Guide Outfitter Industry in British Columbia_Challenges and New Opportunities. This paper outlines GOABC’s position on what needs to be done to support a viable guide outfitting business in BC. While one can’t blame GOABC for putting forward strategies to help with their viability as small businesses, the real issue for resident hunters and wildlife is that the government often seems to be far too sympathetic to the the requests of businesses such as GOABC and the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association.
The content of the GOABC viability document seems to be at odds with what they are saying publicly in the newspaper ads. Here are some examples:
In the newspaper ad GOABC says “wildlife stewardship is our priority.”
In the viability paper GOABC says “A primary objective of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) is to promote the continued economic viability of the industry.”
and
In the newspaper ad GOABC says they “recognize that, after the needs of First Nations are met, the resident hunters of B.C. are given priority with hunting opportunities”.
In the viability paper GOABC says “it is important that the hunting seasons are aligned and consistent to provide equal opportunity to the recreational hunters and commercial hunting industry.”
“If there is a conservation concern or a need to control the harvest then guides should be on quotas and the recreational hunters should be on Limited Entry Hunting (LEH).”
and
In the newspaper ad GOABC says they “understand the importance of hunter recruitment and retention in B.C.”.
In the viability paper GOABC says “The management of big game must be conducted in a manner that grows trophy-class animals and restricts provisions such as “spike-fork” seasons for immature bull moose.”
The resident hunters of BC are always cognizant of conservation issues and do not support hunting regulations that produce a harvest that goes beyond what science says is acceptable and sustainable. LEH is not the only tool for residents when there is “a need to control the harvest.” The new allocation policy deals with these issues, and provides a variety of management tools, while keeping conservation at the forefront. GOABC knows that putting residents on LEH for quota species impacts resident hunters dramatically, both in hunting opportunities and in hunter recruitment. The impact of LEH on residents is typically far greater than the impact of quotas on guided hunters. We also know from past experiences that managing wildlife to grow trophy-class animals has a detrimental effect on hunter recruitment as the priority for the majority of resident hunters is to put quality food in their freezers.
Volunteers often represent resident anglers’ and hunters’ interests on government-initiated committees. The volunteers acting on your behalf as a resident often do this at large personal expense, both monetary, and in terms of the time commitment. The volunteers who represent resident hunters and anglers are not asking to be paid for their work, but they are asking for government to stop wasting their time.
One such committee is the Provincial Hunting Regulations and Allocation Advisory Committee, or PHRAAC. The PHRAAC process is not working for resident hunters for many reasons including:
- Action items were submitted to the committee on behalf of resident hunters several years ago and government has shown little willingness to discuss, address and implement the recommendations. The review process is stagnated and recommendations never get the attention they should.
- The allocation policy that was signed off on, and put into government policy in 2007, is being applied inconsistently and often contrary to the agreement in many parts of the province. This opinion has been brought forth at PHRAAC numerous times, but government has shown no interest in addressing the issue.
- Decisions at PHRAAC need to be informed by accurate and recent information. Government says they are committed to providing this information, but in reality, the information is rarely provided in a timely or adequate matter. The information has at times never been provided at all, even after repeated requests.
- Government itself does not seem committed to the PHRAAC process. Government representation on PHRAAC is continually changing, which leads to inconsistency in understanding of the process, rehashing, misinterpretation, and commitments being forgotten. Meetings are called and there is often a lack of government staff participating.
- Significant changes in regulations have been implemented without discussion and approval at PHRAAC. These changes often seem to be in response to the interests of strong lobby groups.
“On behalf of the BC Wildlife Federation, which represents 35,000 individual resident hunters, anglers, conservationists and recreational enthusiasts in British Columbia, we respectfully request that the Auditor General’s office conduct a full audit of the operations of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment’s Environmental Stewardship Division, Fish and Wildlife Branch and Conservation Officer Service, specifically pertaining to fish and wildlife management and consumptive use.”
To see entire letter, click here: BCWF request Audit of MoE Enviro Stewardship Div
The following advertisement has been placed in newspapers throughout B.C.
Click on the ad for a full view.
Presentation to the Minister and the MLA on October 20th in Victoria B.C.
By: Jacques Drisdelle and Garth Lee, Region 5
BC Wildlife Federation,
Wildlife Committee Member
108 Mile House, BC
Honourable Minister, Member for Cariboo Chilcotin, and Wildlife Branch staff:
Thank you for this opportunity to express our concerns re moose hunting in Region 5 (the Cariboo Chilcotin).
Minister, what we want from you in the final analysis is an independent assessment by qualified experts of the regulatory environment applying to moose management in Region 5 (Cariboo Chilcotin).
My family has lived here for 34 years and before that we lived in northern Ontario. The first solid food that my children ate when they graduated from milk pablum and baby food was potatoes, vegetables, and moose meat and we still enjoy it immensely.
Continue reading Presentation to the Minister of Environment on Moose Hunting Regulations – Region 5 (Cariboo-Chilcotin)
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