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SharePoll suggests hunters in favour of grizzly ban
Published: September 17, 2008 8:00 AMUpdated: September 17, 2008 10:47 AM
Even hunters think the grizzly bear hunt is grisly.
A majority of British Columbians support a total ban on the trophy hunting of grizzlies, and this includes hunters.
A recent province-wide poll conducted by McAllister Opinion Research suggests that 73 per cent of the total population and 60 per cent of licensed hunters support a ban on trophy hunting of the iconic species, period.
“I’m shocked” said Janice Gilbert of Collingwood Bros, a local guide outfitting company.
“I don’t think it should be banned.”
“If outfitters are allowed to hunt a few bears a year, then I believe that is certainly not a bad thing” said Sieghard Weitzel of Outdoor Essentials, a local outdoor supply company.
A whopping 85 per cent of respondents disagree that hunting the bear makes B.C. safer.
“It [the hunt] employs a lot of people in our province and I’m one of them.” Gilbert said, “I think there’s a lot of grizzly bears.”
The poll also suggests that 73 per cent of the people agree with some biologists that B.C. does not have a scientifically reliable population estimate for grizzly bears.
