Grizzly bears need protection

Vancouver Sun, Thursday, July 31, 2008
Letter: by Chris Genovali

Re: B.C. grizzly population at ‘great risk’, July 29

I’d like to clarify an important point in the article. I did not state that the 430 grizzly bears killed in 2007 were all from sport hunting.

What I did say is that a record number — 430 grizzlies — were killed last year, 84 per cent of them by trophy hunters. For Environment Minister Barry Penner to feign otherwise is disingenuous.

Penner correctly stated that grizzly bears are under threat from climate
change, but then why is it that his government continues pushing for more
fossil fuel development, as well as supporting oil and gas drilling,
logging, mining and other industrial activity in grizzly habitat?

In addition, not one of the no-hunt zones (known as “grizzly bear management
areas”) that were promised years ago has been implemented.
B.C. and Alberta continue to be the only provinces in Canada without a law
to protect their threatened and endangered wildlife. What an ignominious
distinction.

Chris Genovali
Executive director
Raincoast Conservation
Sidney, BC

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