As leaders in advocacy for the freedom to hunt and science-based wildlife management, the GOABC and SCI Canada have together put forward their position on predator hunting.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2021
SCI Canada and the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) support the Safari Club International (SCI) and Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) position on science-based predator hunting as a critical component of wildlife management. Furthermore, we:
ACKNOWLEDGE the public interest and media attention given to hunting of large carnivores, particularly wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, and coyotes and therefore the need to disseminate accurate information related to predator management;
RESPECT the important role that predators play in their ecosystems and the range of wildlife values associated with these species including naturalistic, existential, utilitarian, spiritual, and conservation;
EMPHASIZE, however, that large carnivores are not exempt from the public trust doctrine that underlies the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and support legal regulated hunting of predators as a legitimate recreational opportunity that provides public value and should be preserved;
UNDERSTAND that sustainable predator hunting can be part of prey population management including big game species such as white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose, pronghorn, caribou, mountain goats, and wild sheep;
SUPPORT foremost the use of the best available science and transparent processes for quota setting, harvest objectives, or population targets, and other such data that result in sustainable wildlife populations that address all human values; and,
ACCEPT that predator hunting can be an effective tool to reduce or mitigate human-wildlife conflict and that the efficacy of these programs may vary depending on the environment, species, or location involved but should be part of science-based management plans that ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations while also considering human co-existence.
“To manage wildlife properly you need to manage both predator and prey. If a species becomes too abundant, we should manage that species to help take out the peaks and valleys in the population swing,” said GOABC’s Executive Director and CEO Scott Ellis.
Eric Moland reinforced the position, stating: “Wildlife managers need to have density objectives for the key species and then manage to those objectives. Then everyone can see how well or how poorly our wildlife are doing.”
We ask those who believe in holistic and effective wildlife management to provide your comments on Caribou Recovery at https://engage.gov.bc.ca/caribou/
For more information, contact Scott Ellis at GOABC (604) 541-6332 or Eric Moland at SCI Canada (613) 401-8037.
