Categories
News/Blog

Fines for illegal hunting and fishing more than double in B.C.

Fines for illegal hunting and fishing more than double in B.C. | CBC News

The Ministry of Forests says the new scale of fines effective Tuesday under the Wildlife Act ranges from $345 to $1,495, up from the current range of $115 to $575.

“Fines for illegal hunting and fishing in British Columbia are more than doubling as the province cracks down on offences against wildlife.”

“The ministry says in a news release the new penalties ‘better reflect the serious nature’ of wildlife offences and acknowledge the importance of wildlife to B.C.”

Jesse Zeman, Executive Director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, says the organization “applauds tougher penalties.”

Read the legislation
Categories
News/Blog

Have your say on proposed hunting & trapping regulations in B.C.

The B.C. government is seeking public feedback on a long list of suggested changes to hunting and trapping regulations. Now is your chance to see proposed changes in your area and across B.C. and speak up for wildlife. Their website is open for comments until January 23, 2022 at midnight.

Potential changes include:

  • A ban on the use of trail cameras for hunting
  • A ban on feeding or baiting ungulates such as deer near human dwellings to prevent human-wildlife conflict
  • Expansions and additions of no hunting and no shooting areas

How to register & comment

To participate through the government’s engagement website, you’ll need a Basic BCeID account.

  1. If you don’t have a BCeID account, register for a “Basic BCeID” account online. If you have a BCeID account and have not logged in for a while, you may need to reset your password.
  2. Go to the “Hunting” page and click “Login”.
  3. If you are prompted to complete your registration, fill out the required fields and submit the form.
  4. Once you’ve logged in, it will return you to the main “Hunting” page.
  5. You can now scroll through the proposed regulations and click or tap each regulation title to comment.

Note: You must be logged in and select one of the three cells (“Support”, “Neutral”, “Oppose”) under “Level of Support” to comment.

Some regulation changes to consider commenting on:

TitleProposed “Level of Support”
Wireless Trail CamerasSupport
Black Bear No Hunting Area Within the Primary Range of Kermode BearsSupport
Squamish River Valley No Shooting AreaSupport
Prohibit Feeding of Ungulates Within 200m of a Dwelling HouseSupport
No Hunting Zone – Highway 3 – Loop Bridge to Alexander BridgeSupport
Compulsory Inspection for Black BearSupport
Woodhus Slough No Hunting AreaSupport
Close Pink Mountain Caribou General Open Season (Bow Only) and Limited Entry Hunting OpportunitiesSupport
Minimum Distance Between Exposed Bait and TrapsSupport
Compulsory Inspection for Bobcat and Lynx in the OkanaganSupport
Mayne Island – HuntingNeutral
*3 options are suggested. Be sure to comment and indicate your preferred solution.
Rescind Downie Creek Motor Vehicle for Hunting Closed Area RegulationOppose

Trouble logging in?

If you have difficulty obtaining a BCeID, please make your concerns known to the Honourable Katrine Conroy directly at FLNR.Minister@gov.bc.ca.

A community-led initiative is available to support residents in participating in this feedback process. For further information, please email friendsofpublicsafety@gmail.com.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on policies that impact wildlife.