Investigate. Inform. Inspire.
Raincoast is a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia.
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, PC, MPPrime Minister of CanadaOffice of the Prime Minister and Privy Council Parliament BuildingsOttawa, Ontario K1A 1A6 July 10, 2020 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau: As organizations with a strong commitment to defending nature in Canada, we want to acknowledge the efforts that the Government of Canada has made to protect […]
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Michael Soulé’s work has been central to the growth of conservation science. He has been called the grandfather of conservation biology. Soulé has been an important source of knowledge, counsel, and insight to many of the scientists at Raincoast Conservation Foundation. May 28, 1936 – June 17, 2020 Thoughtful counsel and generosity My last conversations […]
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A new publication finds that in many cases a resurgence in Indigenous governance can increase both the scale and effectiveness of biodiversity protections…
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As I crouch on the riverbank taking measurements of the salmon carcass, the ever-telling sensation of being watched creeps up my neck. I look up to see a mother black bear and her two cubs across the river, staring right at me. Our eyes meet, and time slows. In this moment of connected eyes and […]
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Wildlife conservation literature and public discourse, too often gloss over the important difference between hunting and the regulation of hunting. This is so common that there is a persistent, misinformed idea that extinctions have been avoided through the act of hunting. Historically, the regulation of hunting, not hunting itself, has averted extinction…
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British Columbia has begun an ambitious effort to review the province’s approach to managing wildlife, with $14 million committed so far. The Province’s interest in reform is encouraging. As explained in a letter we recently published in the journal Science…
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Writing in the scientific journal, Conservation Letters, an international team of conservation scientists is challenging the conservation community to fully consider the ethics of trophy hunting and think critically about endorsing the practice as a key funding mechanism for wildlife protection. Read our new paper, “The elephant (head) in the room: A critical look at trophy […]
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Writing in the scientific journal, Conservation Letters, an international team of conservation scientists argue that trophy hunting – hunting that involves the collection of animal body parts, or “trophies,” – is morally wrong. Led by Chelsea Batavia from the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University, the authors identify trophy hunting as […]
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For years, British Columbia’s wildlife management practices, especially its wolf cull and grizzly bear hunt, have been controversial. In 2015, then-Premier Christy Clark defended the province’s wildlife policies, stating they were grounded in sound science. That, at least, was the claim. And not one unique to British Columbia. In fact, hunting in Canada and the […]
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A new study, “Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management”, released today in the AAAS Open Access journal Science Advances, identified four key hallmarks expected of science-based management: clear objectives, use of evidence, transparency and external review. Combined, these hallmarks provide the checks and balances that give rigour to science-based approaches…
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A new study, “Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management”, published by Science Advances , challenges a widespread assumption that wildlife management in North America is science-based. Scientists from Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison examined management documents relating to most hunted species across […]
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