Obviously a biased article but I found it very interesting to hear that the First Nation groups have banned bear hunting, I wonder the details about this (if it just has to do with the spirit bear or more to it).
Also personally for me I don't seem to agree with hunting something if your not going to eat it. I have shot one black bear and it was a fun hunt but i didn't enjoy the meat so I haven't shot another one since. However I do want to shoot another one and try to prepare the meat a few different ways to see if there is a way I can like it. If I don't eat it I won't kill it. Having said that I don't feel strongly enough about this to impose this belief on others. Actually i think others should have the choice to hunt and kill bears for a just the skin. Hunting is a great management tool and it should be used, also it is a great economic component for numerous parties.
So I can sympathize with people who don't think you should hunt for trophies but I don't agree with taking that right away from people.
I find that figure about bear viewing bringing in more than hunting sceptical so I am searching more. Here is one study and it refers to just the Great Bear Rainforest and it looks bogus
http://ecoclub.com/headlines/members/916-140108-bear-viewing-revenue
Appears as though the study was done by "Centre for Responsible Travel" and was funder by a conservation group Tides Canada
Here is the study cited in the initial article
http://www.responsibletravel.org/pr...ear_Viewing_and_Bear_Hunting_in_GBR_of_BC.pdf
It only refers to the GBRF and not to bear hunting in all of BC that is how they get their numbers
Also the First Nations have banned the TROPHY hunting of bears because they have actually set up a good economy for bear viewing and they feel that hunting would diminish that. Good on the First nations for finding an economic solution that lines up with their beliefs.
Interesting stuff.