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British Columbia Bans All Grizzly Bear Hunting Effective Immediately

December 19, 2017

British Columbia has banned all grizzly bear hunting effective immediately, closing a loophole that existed for meat hunting.

Photo credit: Sherry Kirkvold

Less than a month after a ban on grizzly bear trophy hunting came into effect, the province has decided to expand the ban to include hunting the species for meat.

"We have listened to what British Columbians have to say on this issue and it is abundantly clear that the grizzly hunt is not in line with their values," said Doug Donaldson, B.C.'s minister of forests, lands and natural resources.

British Columbia's grizzly hunting made headlines in September when singer Miley Cyrus added her name to a list of those lobbying the government to close the "loophole" of hunting for food.

Cyrus and others were critical of the previous policy that came into effect at the end of November that allowed the killing of grizzlies as long as they removed some of the animals' meat.

The trophy hunting loophole has been eliminated with the updated policy, the Humane Society International's Canadian executive director said.