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ftrain
12-08-2014, 10:15 PM
Does the Province Support BC Resident Families or Foreign Trophy Hunters?
The BC Guide Outfitting industry that harvest wildlife for profit, and their foreign trophy hunting clients have become the subject of much controversy amongst the resident hunting community throughout BC, and the BC Wildlife Federation.
At the heart of the issue is the Guide Outfitters Association of BC (GOABC) lobbying Minister of FLNRO Steve Thomson and Premier Christy Clark to remove more wildlife harvest allocations from 100,000 resident hunter to 210 Guide Outfitters throughout BC. Ultimately the GOABC is asking that Government hand over substantially more BC resident wildlife allocations to Guide Outfitters.
What does this mean for resident hunters? Much less opportunity to fill your freezers with organic meat, increased odds on Limited Entry, and less opportunity for resident hunters to hunt overall. This in an effort by the GOABC to prop up commercial trophy hunting primarily for foreigners, at the expense of BC residents.
Other North American jurisdictions allow commercial hunting interests 10% or less of allocated species. Here in BC Guide Outfitters have successfully lobbied the Minister to allocate (give them) up to 40% of allocated wildlife species.
Independent Guide Outfitters and the GOABC have argued the economic benefits of the trophy hunting business. However, recent economic reports reveal that resident hunters contribute far more to the BC economy through the many businesses supporting their outdoor recreation, hunting for food, and wildlife conservation. With these findings it makes no sense economically, and in the interest of wildlife to shift hunting allocations away from resident hunters to that of foreign trophy hunters.
Resident hunting spans generations having a strong heritage, traditional, social and cultural foundation. Family and friendship bonds are fostered and nurtured through our revered hunting opportunities, and many cherished memories created lasting lifetimes.
We fear that the minister of FLNRO and the Premier may not recognize or fail to better entrench these very important family values of BC residents, and cater to the GOABC and their trophy hunting for profit business agenda. By coincidence, the GOABC and a number of Guide Outfitters contributed to the liberal party in the last provincial election.
It is our perspective that after conservation, and First Nations food, social and ceremonial needs, that the needs of BC residents be met over that of foreign hunting interests.
We must ask government decision makers if they will allow 210 Guide Outfitters and the GOABC to trump the social values, economic contribution, and hunt for food opportunity of 100,000 resident hunting families?
If the Minister and Premier truly support BC's 100,000 resident hunting families, then the now vitiated 2007 Allocation Policy needs to be rescinded, allocated wildlife spits legislated, and immediately set to 90% residents and 10% Guide Outfitters for all species as is done in other jurisdictions. Does the Province support 100'000 BC resident hunting families or that of 210 Guide Outfitters catering to foreign trophy hunters? The Ministers decision will tell and are anxiously awaiting for it.

Mike Langegger
Northwest Fish and Wildlife Conservation Association - Chairman

ftrain
12-08-2014, 10:43 PM
There is a serious issue that will have a devastating affect on all of us who hunt or have friends or family that do. These changes as outlined in the above post will take away a lot of opportunities and if you think that getting an LEH draw is difficult now just wait and see what happens. Now is the time to stand up and be heard. Meet with your MLA, send your MLA a letter expressing your concerns and cc Minister Thomson and Premier Clark

Whonnock Boy
12-08-2014, 10:58 PM
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?112698-Wildlife-Allocation-Policy-is-being-renegotiated-behind-your-back!

Sofa King
12-08-2014, 11:04 PM
merge.....

Steeleco
12-08-2014, 11:13 PM
An issue like this needs as much exposure as we can get, I'll leave them both open but if we end up with more than these two active threads then I'll merge them as suggested.
Some members won't see both threads, so seeing one is a good start.

boxhitch
12-09-2014, 01:39 AM
ftrain , is that a copy of a press release or submission to the media ? It reads like it is trying to sway a larger public opinion .

lange1212
12-09-2014, 10:53 AM
ftrain , is that a copy of a press release or submission to the media ? It reads like it is trying to sway a larger public opinion .

Boxhitch it was written as a letter to the editor to inform public of the wildlife allocation issues at hand and submitted to local papers in the Skeena region where it was generated. It was also provided to Regional Rod & Gun Clubs for there members to read.

40incher
12-09-2014, 11:12 AM
This is a good press release to raise awareness and to make sure the guide minority gets what they deserve, a minor piece of the pie.

The old allocation policy was just fine, except the bureaucrats refused to enforce it. The new allocation policy is going backwards in my mind, and the bureaucrats still refuse to enforce it if it benefits resident hunters.

Notice the common denominator?! Fire them all and let's move on! 90%/10% across the board.

lange1212
12-10-2014, 10:17 AM
We've seen how effective the GOABC has been at soliciting government to change the very policy they agreed to and was signed off by the Minister of the day. A policy that was to be open, transparent, used consistently, reflect resident priority, and not open for bias renegotiation. I think we will all a agree that the allocation policy today has shifted so for off its agreed to intent and direction that it and those entrusted to apply it get a failing grade.

How can the GOABC and its 210 members have such influence over government decision makers, in comparison to that of 102,000 resident hunting families in BC?
time
The allocation policy has proven to be useless because the GOABC has influenced government to sway from it to their benefit, at the expense of the resident hunting families.

As such the allocation policy is a waste of time and not in public or wildlife's interest. As long as there's an allocation policy the GOABC will continue to manipulate and lobby government to change it to their benefit at the demise of resident (history has dictated this not me). That said the only way to effectively address this is to have legislated splits of 90% residents and 10% non-residents across the board. Once this is done we can get back to concentrating on growing more wildlife for everyone.

markt308
12-10-2014, 10:32 AM
There's an active petition that I just signed this morning regarding this. Should I post the link?

bridger
12-10-2014, 10:51 AM
There's an active petition that I just signed this morning regarding this. Should I post the link?
Please do asap

VLD43
12-10-2014, 01:21 PM
I sent a letter to my MLA. Did you? We all need to be more engaged regarding issues such as this. Don't wait, spend a little time soon and get the message out to your MLA.