Overkill: Trophy hunting slams BC’s grizzly bears
Anna Taylor, The Ecologist
7th February 2014
In BC, Canada, a surge in trophy hunting may be reducing Grizzly bear populations. A new study finds evidence of serious Grizzly bear ‘overkill’ from multiple causes of mortality – in which trophy hunting is a big contributor.
In one area, trophy hunters killed 24 more grizzlies than the quota allowed, and overhunting was particularly prevalent for female bears that are critical for a sustainable population.
The British Columbia Government claims that the quotas they set for the number of Grizzly bears allowed to be killed each year ensure that hunting practices are sustainable.
But a new study into the management of Grizzly bears in BC, published in the open-access journalPLoS ONE, finds that so-called ‘overkills’ occurred in half the Grizzly bear populations.
The findings are also relevant to the USA and proposals to strip Grizzly bears of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
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The Raincoast Conservation Foundation has raised concerns about BC’s Grizzly trophy hunt in the past. The European Union banned the import of BC Grizzly bear parts in 2002 due to their concerns over sustainability.
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To read the full story please visit the Ecologist website.
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2271852/overkill_trophy_hunting_slams_bcs_grizzly_bears.html
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