BC Government Revises Hunting Allocations After Backlash

Huge crowd at a rally in West Kelowna protesting the December 10th allocation policy. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)

Following concerns from B.C.'s hunting community, including a huge rally in West Kelowna, the provincial government has revised its December decision about hunting allocations.

Steve Thomson, Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations Minister as well as MLA for Kelowna-Mission, announced Friday that he had made "slight revisions" on wildlife harvest allocations. Instead of transferring 110 animals from resident hunters to guide outfitters compared to 2014, the revised policy transfers about 60 animals.

The hunting community walking to Premier Christy Clark's office to drop off letters detailing their opinions on the new allocations. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)

Thomson says that after the initial decision on December 10th, he has been listening to the feedback. “It became clear there are some very sensitive hunts that were of particular concern, and that's where we've made the adjustments.”

The decision revises the allocation splits for the following hunts:

• bull elk and either sex elk on Vancouver Island
• moose in the Thompson and Omineca regions
• bison in the Peace
• bighorn sheep and grizzly bear in the Kootenays

Thomson will also be reviewing the thinhorn sheep hunt and either-sex elk hunt in agricultural parts of the Peace by fall 2015. Of the 47,000 animals harvested by B.C. hunters every year in the province, about 8 per cent are on allocation. The allocations—from December as well as the revised policy—do not include General Open Season opportunities such as mule deer, whitetail deer, and black bears.

Thomson making an announcement in Kelowna as the Minister of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)

“I've been listening to the input, I've met with the BC Wildlife Federation and have engaged with them,” said Thomson, saying that the changes are the result of an overall assessment of feedback. “It's a recognition that there was some legitimate feedback on some of the specific hunts. I think this is a reasonable response.”

“I'm hoping we can move forward with discussion around the broader wildlife management policies and common objectives.”