A LITTLE EASY READING FOR THOSE THAT DON"T GO LOOKING
Disposition of Resolutions at 2018 BCWF AGM
Resolutions Committee Report Continued…
10 | P a g e
WILDLIFE POLICY
POLICIES 01/18
Whereas the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) sets policy from membership resolutions, relevant policy review updates and,
Whereas these resolutions form part of the most current policy on the specific subject, and
Whereas these policies need to be updated to reflect current position and direction of the BCWF
Therefore Be It Resolved that the BC WILDLIFE FEDERATION adopt the revised Wildlfie Policy as presented which incorporates previously
passed resolutions, relevant policy review updates and which considers recent changing conditions, with the purpose to set updated direction for the BC WILDLIFE FEDERATION.
SUBMITTED BY
BC Wildlife Federation Wildlife Committee
Passed By: BC Wildlife Federation Board of Directors
DISPOSITION
Passed as Amended
Supporting Brief:
The objectives of the BC Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Policy are:
• To maintain the diversity and abundance of BC’s wildlife populations in perpetuity by means of scientific wildlife management.
• To maintain the hunting opportunity through the maintenance of viable populations of game animals in suitable habitat.
Supporting Statement
The BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) supports the principle of wildlife management for the purpose of both consumptive (hunting and
trapping) and non-consumptive uses and sees retention of the hunting opportunities as a major priority. This policy recognizes that
support for wildlife management and productive wildlife habitat is essential and recognizes that special considerations may have to be
made for endangered species and threatened habitat, as well as reduced hunting pressure, controlled access and other measures
designed to meet the objectives of this policy.
Wildlife Policy
Building on the general statements contained within BC Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Policy and in response to requests for policy statements,
which address specific issues, the following interpretations of our interests have been issued by the Federation. These may change in
response to new information or changing conditions.
a) The BCWF supports The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
b) The BCWF supports the Government of British Columbia in establishing a sustainable population target for all wildlife
by species, including predators. Objectives for density and composition are required. Population objectives can be met at
the population management unit, wildlife management unit, or sub-wildlife management unit levels, and are managed to maintain the defined population thresholds.
c) The wildlife resources shall be protected, and defined objectives for population levels shall be attained consistent with the productivity of the available habitat.
d) Population Recovery Strategies are instituted where a species population drops below the designated threshold.
e) The BCWF supports that the Province of British Columbia fully dedicate all fees collected for hunting including but not limited
to: hunting license fees, species tags fees, limited entry hunting fees, and royalty fees for wildlife and trapping as minimum funding
to wildlife management in British Columbia. In addition, any other fees, or portion of those fees, collected for activities that impact
wildlife or their habitats on crown land should be dedicated to wildlife and habitat management.
f) The BCWF supports the Province of British Columbia in developing and implementing a predator management program. The intent of
this program is to not only protect species at risk, but also to allow predator species to be managed at desired levels thus allowing wild
ungulate populations to meet population objectives while meeting the harvest requirements of all BC hunters.
g) The BCWF supports that the Province of British Columbia reject any and all attempts to implement wildlife management practices
that are not consistent with biologically sound principles and that BC Wildlife Federation vigorously protest, to the Province of British Columbia,
the use of the referendum laws or public polls to effect changes in resource management based on populism.
h) The BCWF is opposed to the habituation of wildlife by any activities, including commercial activities, on Crown Land and supports methods to mitigate habituation of wildlife.
i) The BCWF supports and urges the Province of British Columbia to return final authority to protect critical ungulate winter range solely
to Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development (MFLNRORD). It is also requested that MFLNRORD
continue identifying ungulate winter range areas and protect them with the purpose of increasing the total area of ungulate winter range.
j) The BCWF supports the Province of British Columbia in implementing and retaining programs that provide science for wildlife management such as the " Tooth for the Truth."
k) The BCWF supports and requests from the Province of British Columbia that the BCWF be involved in developing the overlying principles and
tests for collaborative and roundtable processes involving First Nations and stakeholder groups related to Fish & Wildlife management.
l) The BCWF opposes management by conservancies and rather supports alternatives that allow resident harvest opportunities. The BCWF
will inform the provincial government of these concerns and the importance of harvesting from the land.
m) The BCWF supports and requests that the Province of British Columbia halt the introduction of species or the reintroduction of long
term extirpated species without first developing a clear and concise management program.
n) The BCWF supports that existing introductions, that can be identified as seriously impacting local habitats and species,
be managed by delineating a management area to contain and control them, outside of which only extensive general open
seasons will be used to control their expansion and numbers.
o) The BCWF supports and requests that the Province of British Columbia compile a list of non-native/invasive fish and
wildlife species that may not be cared for and/or rehabilitated by any individual or organization for release into our environment
p) The BCWF supports that the Province of British Columbia make it illegal to release any schedule “C” animals captured for pest
control or other reasons and to mandate the humane euthanizing of these animals.
q) The BCWF believes that science-based data is a pillar of wildlife management, but recognizes local and traditional knowledge,
as well as citizen science as being valid tools for informing wildlife management polices and regulations. However, the Province
of British Columbia must commit to comparing information from different sources and to investigating why there are differences should there be discrepancies.
r) The BCWF supports legislation that clearly articulates the need for all residents of BC to access wildlife for sustenance in British Columbia.
Wildlife Policy — Education
a) The BCWF will seek assistance from other non-government organizations to establish both a Provincial Hunting and a Provincial Angling Day.
b) The BCWF supports and requests that the Province of British Columbia establish both a Provincial Hunting and a Provincial Angling Day
to better educate and inform the general public as to the benefits of these two important activities.
c) The BCWF encourages its members and clubs to celebrate provincial hunting and angling days in their communities.
Wildlife Policy — Government
a) The BCWF supports and requests from all levels of government that stakeholders involved in any consultation process must disclose
any conflict of interest, whether perceived or real and that such be recorded to ensure the transparency of any decision making in the consultation process.
b) The BCWF supports that stakeholders involved in wildlife decision-making processes have a demonstrated history of
conservation-based activities beyond simply raising funds for media campaigns.
c) The BCWF supports and requests in the strongest possible terms that the Ministry of Environment (MOE), the Ministry of
Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (MFLNRORD), the Ministers, and our elected Members of the
Legislative Assembly support and ensure implementation of a clear and transparent plan of action to promptly release the results
of all publicly funded studies in relation to fish and wildlife resources in the Province of British Columbia.
Wildlife Policy — Health of Wildlife
a) The BCWF supports and encourages the Province of British Columbia in the introduction of legislation, regulations or other rules
by all levels of government to ensure the sound health of wildlife from being impacted by domestic animals or farmed wildlife.
b) The BCWF supports and urges the Province of British Columbia to enable overarching legislation (e.g., Livestock Act,
Animal Health Act) that will provide for effective means of separation between wild and domestic sheep to ensure healthy
wild sheep populations in the long-term and the sustainability of the sustenance, hunting and commercial opportunities wild sheep provide.
c) The BCWF supports and requests the introduction of legislation, regulations or other rules by all levels of government
to prohibit individuals from running or otherwise keeping domestic sheep within fifteen kilometres of any location where wild sheep may be found.
d) The BCWF supports the Province of British Columbia in the implementation of procedures to test the carcasses of cervids for chronic wasting disease (CWD).
e) The BCWF supports a ban on importing animal products that could result in the spread of CWD, including parts
of harvested animals and scents or attractants derived from animal products, from jurisdictions outside of British Columbia.
f) The BCWF recommends that the Province of British Columbia immediately develop a plan for dealing with CWD in the
case that the disease appears in BC in the future.
g) The BCWF agrees that there can be negative consequences with the supplemental feeding of wildlife such as increased
risk of disease transmission, degradation of natural habitat in proximity to feeding sites, increased mortality from predation
near feeding sites, increased conflicts with humans, and negative consequences to animal health resulting from the use
of improper feed or sudden changes in feed sources. Therefore, there is a need for concise provincial policy that includes
criteria describing when and how feeding should occur.
h) The BCWF supports the development of a concise policy for the Province of British Columbia that allows for supplemental
feeding. A local committee comprised of stakeholders and government will assess and make recommendations for site and
species-specific actions based on the criteria outlined in the policy, including a monitoring component. The policy needs to
be reviewed and updated as required. The BCWF agrees that supplemental feeding is not to be used as a replacement for
natural habitat protection or enhancement. Supplemental feeding policy must be science-based and only implemented to
meet established wildlife management or research objectives.
Wildlife Policy — Hunting
The BCWF supports and encourages the principles of “Fair Chase.”
Wildlife Policy — Auctioning of Wildlife
a) The membership of the BCWF withdraw their support for the BC Premier’s Special Sheep and Roosevelt Elk Permits if
the present direction and policy are changed from the original direction and stipulations.
b) The BCWF no longer supports the sale of live wildlife or fish through the auctioning of permits for revenue in order to
ensure the principles of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model are maintained, which will safeguard our wildlife and fisheries resources.
c) The BCWF will not support any additional opportunities for auctioning live wildlife permits other than the present two
Special Permits under the original specified conditions as agreed to by the BC Wildlife Federation membership, which includes
not varying from the conditions of the current special permits or new pilot projects
Wildlife Policy — Regulations
a) The BCWF supports that regulations be based on science and supported by science.
b) Where no wildlife conservation concerns exist, the BCWF supports that all roads that are presently closed
to motorized traffic for the use of hunting be re-opened by the appropriate Provincial Ministry.
c) The BCWF supports and requests of the Province of British Columbia that all future hunting closures be applied
to all hunters, resident and non-resident alike. Closure means no one hunts in the restricted area whether on public or private land.
d) The BCWF supports that all BC hunters be required to carry a minimum of $1 million public liability and property damage insurance policy.
e) The BCWF supports the right to hunt for all residents of British Columbia.
Wildlife Policy — Retention & Recruitment
a) The BCWF endorses special hunting opportunities for youth 18 years and under and seniors 65 years and older to
recognize their importance to the recruitment and retention of hunters
b) The BCWF endorses the special opportunity of the Migratory Bird Family Waterfowl Weekend where all British Columbians
can try water fowling without requiring a license.
c) The BCWF supports programs that provide equitable opportunity to access private and public lands while
minimizing costs for resident hunters, which will encourage the recruitment and retention of hunters.
d) The BCWF encourages the province and elected members to support and implement an ongoing Strategy for
Resident Recruitment and Retention.
e) The BCWF supports two extra "Water Fowler Heritage Days" weekends per hunting season in which youth interested
in hunting may have an opportunity to hunt while not requiring licensing.
f) The BCWF supports a youth hunter regulation to permit the harvest of one antlerless deer where a General Open Season exists.
Wildlife Policy — Technology
a) The BCWF supports the inclusion of new technologies that improve regulation compliance and data collection. eg.
GPS Devices assist in regulation compliance for road closures and legal shooting hours and the electronic collection of hunter survey data
.
b) Wildlife Policy — Translocation/Transplants
c) The BCWF supports and encourages the appropriate provincial ministries to allow for new hunting opportunities in an area of
relocation and in the area from which transplanted stock was taken once conservation concerns have been met in each case and
that the BCWF's regional representatives be consulted regarding relocations.
d) The BCWF requests the appropriate provincial ministries provide consultation with the BC Wildlife Federation to ensure that its
concerns have been addressed prior to the concluding of any and all agreements to remove any species of wildlife from the
province for transplant purposes to other countries or provinces.
e) The BCWF opposes the transplanting of wildlife of the big game designation out of the province until at least a LEH season
has been established, and the BC Wildlife Federation requests the MFLNRORD ensures that transplant opportunities in BC have
priority over transplants elsewhere and that government supports transplants within the province.
f) The BCWF supports the translocation of wildlife instead of culling where feasible.
Wildlife Policy — Wildlife Accidents
a) The BCWF supports and encourages the appropriate provincial ministries, in conjunction with the BCWF, Canadian National Railway (CNR)
and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR); to establish a management strategy to reduce carnage of our wildlife along railways.
b) The BCWF supports the appropriate BC provincial ministries to develop and implement a management strategy in
order to reduce wildlife mortality along our highways.
c) The BCWF fully supports and encourages the Province of British Columbia to dramatically increase the existing funding
spent on available methods regarding reducing wildlife related Motor Vehicle Accidents such as habitat modification,
exclusion fencing, wildlife warning signs and wildlife warning reflectors.
d) The BCWF urges and encourages the Province of British Columbia to continue researching new methods to reduce
the number of fatalities occurring on our roads and highways due to wildlife related accidents.
Maybe I missed it.....and maybe a stupid question, but why doesn't BCWF support a renewed grizzly bear hunt?
Or atleast a decision based on an actual scientific study, proving a grizzly bear hunt is sustainable........or isnt.
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