The B.C. government is calling for public input on its proposed regulations to end trophy hunting for grizzly bears, including requiring hunters to harvest edible portions of the bear and leave behind skulls, paws and other parts traditionally valued as trophies.
The proposed regulations include a new requirement for taxidermists to report to the provincial government all work on grizzly bear parts. The province has released two discussion papers on the subject, one on regulating bear parts and taxidermy, and one on further restrictions in the Great Bear Rainforest on B.C.’s coast.
Public comments on the new regulations are being accepted until Nov. 2, by email to grizzly.bear@gov.bc.ca and the regulations are to take effect Nov. 30, after the fall hunt is over for 2017.
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The regulations propose to ban possession of parts including skull, penis bone, hide or parts of hide, paws with claws and detached claws. Aboriginal people will continue to be able to harvest grizzly bears and keep all the parts, when the bear is killed within traditionally used areas for food, social and ceremonial purposes.
Sustenance hunting for grizzly bear meat is proposed to be allowed for both resident and non-resident hunters. The discussion paper suggests expanding the definition of “edible parts” to include the neck and ribs, and requiring hunters to remove those parts to their normal dwelling, a meat cutter or a cold storage plant.
Current regulations state that the edible portion” of a grizzly bear, cougar, wolf, lynx, bobcat or wolverine are the four quarters and the loin.
