BC has made radical changes to the moose and caribou hunt in the Peace Region, a move that has the support of some local top nations, while hunting groups are adamantly opposed.
On Thursday, the province announced it would close all caribou hunting in the province’s northeastern region, while making extensive changes to the moose hunting season, including closing the hunt in August for at least a year.
The province says the changes are part of advancing reconciliation with local first nations. They followed a remarkable court ruling that found that BC had violated the treaty rights of the first nations of the Borovinka River.
In June 2021, Yahey v. British Columbia upheld Blueberry River’s 2015 claim that years of widespread industrial development in the region violated their rights under the Treaty.
The court said the province has not retained the nation’s rights to hunt, fish and trap without interference. Although no project has had a devastating effect on the community, the court said the cumulative impact of a series of projects limits the nation’s ability to preserve its rights.
“We have failed to practice our own way of life”
The new changes in elk and caribou hunting are part of a larger plan to maintain herd health, along with respect for contractual rights.
“To support reconciliation and improve wildlife management and habitat protection,” the forestry ministry said in a statement.
It says the final decisions were “informed by a broad commitment to the public, the First Nations, the British Columbia Guides Association and the British Columbia Wildlife Federation”.
Blueberry River members spoke in support of the decision, noting that other top nations in the area had also been consulted.
“We need to be able to better manage our territories, especially when it comes to hunting,” said Blueberry River First Nations chief Judy Dejarle. “There [are] many people hunt for their livelihood and we respect that, but based on the contract we have not been able to practice our own way of life. “
In March, Dejarle and other members of the nation were threatened with death for the proposed changes.
The RCMP is investigating the threatening voice message left on the nation as Dejarle and other public figures condemned the threat.
She said that did not stop the nation from negotiating with the province about its contractual rights.
“The first nations have to do what they have to do, and that is to defend their rights under the treaty,” Dejarle said.
Judy Dejarle is the leader of the First Nations of the Blueberry River. (Andrew Kurzhata / CBC)
Opposition from hunting groups
However, conservationists and members of the hunting community, who have been adamantly opposed to the changes since they were proposed months ago, said the province’s decision is a significant overstatement that could put crew leaders out of business.
Jesse Zeman, executive director of the British Columbia Wildlife Federation, says the regulations are too broad and do not adequately address the issues raised in the Supreme Court’s ruling on the “cumulative effects” of industrial development.
“The province has made these changes throughout the region, including places where there are no cumulative effects,” Zeman said, noting that the rules will apply to extremely remote hunting grounds accessible only by floating plane or horse.
“Instead of dealing with the cumulative effects – oil and gas, logging, site C – instead, they said we would just take local hunters out of the area,” he added.
The BC Backcountry Hunters and Anglers advocated that the changes were not in line with current BC wildlife data, which “shows an abundant moose population in the region and a sustainable harvest rate for both moose and caribou.”
“Science does not play a role in the outcome of wildlife conservation in British Columbia,” Zeman said. “The province has destroyed significant parts of the Mira landscape.”
“Hunting regulations will not solve these problems,” he added.
BC wildlife rules are reviewed every two years. The province said the recent rules were a temporary measure that would be reviewed after the season.
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