We are indebted to John B. Holdstock of BC Wildlife Federation for news of this development. Previously, you will recall, concern about Metis hunting has been limited to Alberta because that is the only province that has signed a permissive agreement allowing Metis unlimited, year-round hunting and fishing rights. Now, there are indications the threat may be nationwide. Just over four percent of Canadians (1.3 million people, 170,000 in BC) identify themselves as members of Canada's aboriginal community, Holdstock wrote last month. And Metis make up about 25 percent of Canada's aboriginal population. Clearly, the math gets scary fast, especially when you consider that many Metis are sophisticated hunters. Some are even trophy hunters.
We have not heard of any specific hunts being impacted by Metis hunting yet (except for the Cadomin area bighorn sheep hunt in Alberta), and there is no reason to start canceling Canadian hunts. But hunters and conservationists need to follow this issue closely. Clearly, this could spark a sort of civil war among hunters and leave the resource badly damaged. Stay tuned....
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