Early Christmas for Coastal Carnivores

Today the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Coastal First Nations reached another conservation milestone in raising $500,000 to acquire the commercial trophy hunting rights in a further 2,350 square kilometres of the Great Bear Rainforest.

The Nadeea hunting tenure covers some of the most spectacular watersheds in the Great Bear Rainforest, the home of Spirit bears, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and more. Ecotourism has emerged as a major employer in the Great Bear and trophy hunting of grizzlies was banned across the province just over a year ago.

Said Doug Neasloss elected chief councillor for the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation, “Eliminating commercial trophy hunting in these watersheds is critical to the continued support of ecotourism in our community. Our own Spirit Bear Lodge is now a major employer in our community.”

Raincoast acquired a first commercial hunting tenure in 2005 in response to a previous ban on trophy hunting being overturned. The acquisition of this fourth hunting tenure now brings the total area to over 30,000 square kilometres. “Beyond the individual wildlife whose lives are spared today, we will also be safeguarding future generations of coastal carnivores with this acquisition,” said Raincoast’s Brian Falconer.

Said Raincoast’s Executive Director, Chris Genovali, “Our strategy of acquiring and then retiring commercial hunting tenures not only safeguards coastal carnivores from trophy hunting, it plays a major role in supporting a thriving ecotourism industry on the coast.”