An environmental group has bought the trophy hunting rights in one of the most valuable guide-outfitting territories in British Columbia – to stop foreign hunters from killing bears and wolves in a coastal rainforest.

The Raincoast Conservation Society spent $1.35 million to buy out Bella Coola Guide Outfitters, which had the exclusive trophy hunting rights in the area known as the Great Bear Rainforest.

The old-growth forest stretches along the coast for 500 kilometres from Knight Inlet to the Alaskan Panhandle, covering a 20,000-square-kilometre area centred around Bella Coola.

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"Spirit" bear (Courtesy: Ron Thiele www.ronthiele.com )

The purchase, which was supported by five coastal First Nations, was made with the intention of changing the focus of the economy there from the trophy-hunting of large carnivores to more conservation-based activities such as wildlife-viewing and photography.

The society's Ian McAllister said the wilderness supports "globally rare" wildlife, including one of the world's last large populations of grizzlies and a rare, pure-white variation of the black bear – the Kermode or "Spirit" bear.

"It's an area where the Spirit bear is found," McAllister said. Some of the largest grizzly and black bears in Canada live there. "It's just one of those spectacular places on the planet."

The Great Bear Rainforest covers 20,000 square kilometres on B.C.'s Central Coast.
The Great Bear Rainforest covers 20,000 square kilometres on B.C.'s Central Coast.

Some hunting will still be allowed

The purchase won't put an end to all hunting in the area, McAllister said.

He said the society won't take foreign hunters, but people who live in British Columbia will still be entitled to hunt in the territory.

"People shouldn't get confused with this as a hunting versus anti-hunting issue. It's not that at all.

"It's strictly focused on the sport hunting of large carnivores like bears and wolves."

Trophy hunting in the area has been controversial for years. The First Nations in the area have opposed the sport hunt and the European Union banned all imports of grizzly bear parts from B.C.

First Nations to focus on wildlife-viewing industry

The Raincoast Conservation Society and First Nations groups plan to offset the loss of income from foreign hunters by developing conservation-based industries such as wildlife photography for tourists.

"We view this unprecedented initiative as part of a larger effort to create a conservation-based economy on the central coast," Wuikinuxv Nation Chief Alex Chartrand said in a news release issued Tuesday.

"Our value system does not support killing animals for trophies and our communities are working hard to develop a sustainable wildlife-viewing industry."

McAllister said the $1.35 million was a lot of money to raise, but stressed that not a dime of it came from government.

"The interesting thing is this didn't take a single taxpayer dollar, and the vast majority of it was raised [and] supported by Canadian individuals."