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Hunters & Trappers
Summary of Public Comments : Provincial Parks & Wilderness for the 90’s
In 1991 British Columbia Parks completed a survey of British Columbia Communities on the impact of expanding protected places. The material extracted below summarizes concerns during that era about the expansion of protected places to 12% of the land by hunters and trappers.
» View PDF (see pgs 39 – 44)
Hunting
Hunting is a popular traditional use in much of British Columbia, and park creation generally curtails hunting opportunities for resident hunters. Some people argued that hunting should be used within parks as a wildlife management tool.
“I do not want to see any hunting restrictions applied to any area where they are not already in effect.” (Roberta Adams, Houston)
Trapping
- Existing traplines should not be affected by new parks.
- Trapping should be regulated on a quota system within parks.
- There should be equal access to trapping and hunting opportunities within parks for both aboriginal and non-aboriginal residents of the province.
Perspective 2023
On its website, the BC Wildlife Federation expresses a perspective of harmonizing hunting with the protection of nature. (2023)
Our mountains, rivers, lakes and forests are suffering from decades of mismanagement and unsustainable use. For example, in B.C. there are over 700,000 km of roads – a footprint large enough to wrap around the earth more than 17 times. This has permanently impaired our landscapes, fish and wildlife. Habitat degradation and loss have reduced our landscapes’ ability to produce and sustain abundant fish and wildlife as they once did.
The abundance of fish and wildlife – creatures large and small; iconic and obscure; common and rare – that the province once had has dwindled to scarcity in less than a single lifetime. This is concerning for a wide range of people, including First Nations, butterfly enthusiasts, bird watchers, big game hunters, and wildlife viewers. We now have endangered steelhead and caribou, record low salmon and moose populations, and declining mountain sheep and mule deer populations in parts of the province. This scarcity of fish and wildlife has increased social conflict and threatens food security and tourism-related jobs.
As the province of British Columbia is learning with endangered caribou, it takes orders of magnitude more money to bring species back from the brink than it does to keep species from declining in the first place. B.C. should be striving to strengthen its communities and economy, based on healthy and resilient ecosystems and abundant wildlife. This creates jobs and helps build relationships between First Nations and non-First Nations communities, creating a brighter future for our children.
Now is the time to invest, conserve, protect and restore our landscapes and wildlife to stabilize and restore what makes British Columbia special. This requires a commitment from the Province in partnership with First Nations, communities, and organizations to re-establish British Columbia as a world leader in fish, wildlife and habitat management.
