To the editor;
The changes to hunting-allocation policy is just the latest in a long line of agreements not being honoured by the B.C. Liberals.
In 2007, an agreement was reached on sharing our wildlife resources between the B.C. Liberal government, the ministries, groups representing resident hunters (a.k.a. voters) and guide outfitters.
The Guide Outfitters Association immediately began lobbying the government to get a bigger share and implementation was delayed for many years.
The B.C. Liberal government has now announced the guide outfitters’ lobbying efforts have been successful.
Other nearby jurisdictions — Alberta, Washington, Oregon and Saskatchewan — give the guide outfitters between five and 10 per cent of the animals.
Our government is giving the guide outfitters up to 40 per cent of the animals.
This will result in fewer opportunities for resident hunters (a.k.a. voters).
Resident hunters (a.k.a. voters) pay the overwhelming majority of funding for wildlife conservation.
Wildlife resources, along with the rest of our natural resources. belong to the public, not to the B.C. Liberal government to quietly give away to their business friends.
In B.C., there are more than 100,000 resident hunters (a.k.a. voters) and some 250 guide outfitters.
If the B.C. Liberal government doesn’t honour the 2007 agreement and return allocations to agreed levels, I will work very hard to elect someone who protects our natural resources and keeps them under public ownership.
Phil Strange
Kamloops, B.C.