Join Danny Catt Tonight - Bears, Bears, Bears

Thursday, November 26, 2009, at 7:00pm Council Chambers North Vancouver District Hall, 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver

Spend a Moment with a Bear

At the Anan Wildlife Observatory in the Tongass National Forest, you can view bears in their environment - feeding on wild salmon, walking in the water, laying down on the grass.... It is a great chance to see bears interact with eachother...watch as black bears and brown bears confront eachother, see eagles soaring through the trees, witness a healthy salmon run and enjoy nature. To visit Anan Creek, you have to apply for permits. Bluewater takes care of this for you so you can enjoy this spectacular place.

Click here to see what is available for 2010!

Illegal Grizzly Bear Poaching Discovered in Great Bear Rainforest Park

Picture by Randy Burke, Bluewater Adventures

Bella Bella (June 12, 2009) -- A grizzly bear trophy hunter was found illegally baiting bears Thursday night in the Giltoyees River Conservancy Area on the B.C. north coast. Captain Eric Boyum, owner of the bear viewing company BC-based Ocean Adventures, discovered the incident while guiding a group of international clients in the remote watershed twenty-five kilometers east of the First Nations village of Hartley Bay. "We were getting settled in for the evening to photograph and watch for bears as they feed on sedges at the waters edge," stated Mr. Boyum reached by satellite phone on the Douglas Channel "when we discovered the individual, along with a large sack of bait being used to lure the bears into shooting range." "We have reported the full details of this sickening discovery to the local RCMP in Kitimat." Under section 33.1 of the BC Wildlife Act, it is illegal to use bait when hunting bears. "We have been receiving reports all season from frustrated bear viewing businesses, First Nations and members of the public that are fed up with finding trophy hunters in areas where they believed wildlife were protected." stated Ian McAllister of the conservation group Pacific Wild. "However, this blatant illegal poaching - in a park - is one of the more disturbing." The B.C. spring bear trophy hunt season closes on June 15th and it is estimated that between 100 and 150 BC grizzly bears have already been killed for sport in 2009. The BC liberals recently declared 30% of the central and north coast protected but continues to allow trophy hunting of bears in protected areas.

Over 80% of the protected areas and parks in British Columbia allow trophy hunting to occur within park boundaries. A coalition of Coastal First Nations, conservation and animal welfare groups have been working to ban the sport hunt of bears on the BC coast and Haida Gwaii. A 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll shows more than 79 percent of British Columbians want to see protection for bears in the Great Bear Rainforest.

For more information contact: Ian McAllister, Pacific Wild

outbind://85-0000000045F121361680344AADFC01B3B64AAA8D44352600/ian@pacificwild.org For b-roll video and interviews contact PacificWild. http://www.pacificwild.org/

Guests are Soaking in the Charlottes

Natural hot springs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hundreds of Humpback whales, ancient totem poles, Haida Elders, local culture, migrating sea birds, untouched beaches, black bears, sunshine, gourmet food...the list goes on. What a week on the Island Roamer!

STOP THE HUNT - www.pacificwild.org

Picture: Pacific Wild www.pacificwild.org

Article Source: www.pacificwild.org

First Nations, Animal Protection and Conservation Groups Unite to Save Bears in BC’s Great Bear Rainforest

Groups call on BC Government to End Trophy Hunting of Bears before April 1st
(BRITISH COLUMBIA, March 17, 2009) First Nations, animal protection and conservation groups have united to protect bears from cruel and unsustainable trophy hunts. At a press conference today, the groups urge the British Columbian government to end trophy hunting of bears in the Great Bear Rainforest prior to the opening of the spring bear hunt on April 1st.

“One might expect that in the Great Bear Rainforest, bears could live and thrive in peace,” said Bruce Passmore, director of outreach for Humane Society International/Canada. “But trophy hunting of bears is still permitted in the Great Bear Rainforest, even in protected areas. It is time for the provincial government to heed public opinion, the best available science and economics by giving these magnificent animals the protection they need to survive.”

According to a 2009 Ipsos Reid poll, 78 percent of British Columbia residents oppose trophy hunting of bears in the Great Bear Rainforest. First Nations groups are in agreement and also want an end to the trophy hunting of bears.

Kitasoo/Xaixais Chief Percy Starr is disappointed that all species of bears in their traditional territory are not protected. “We’ve spent years to ensure our lands are protected, only to learn that trophy hunters can continue to come on our lands and kill bears for sport.” “It's not right that anyone should make a sport of killing,” said Guujaaw, a spokesperson for Coastal First Nations. “Bears are as much a part of the environment as we are.”

For the rest of this article, check out www.pacificwild.org Voice your opinion!

Keep the Promise to Protect the Great Bear!

Source: Sierra Club of Canada
www.savethegreatbear.org/keepthepromise

Keep the promise to protect the Great Bear Rainforest!

That’s what you need to tell British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell. It’s the world's largest temperate rainforest and home to the ‘Spirit Bear,’ the rarely seen white form of the black bear, as well as the forest-nesting marbled murrelet sea bird and salmon-eating coastal wolves.
A couple of years ago, Premier Campbell made a very specific commitment to preserve this precious rainforest. The final countdown is on for the BC government to make their promise a reality by the March 31, 2009 deadline.

Premier Campbell needs to hear from you. We are down to the wire. Unless all elements of the promise are kept, the ecological health of the rainforest will be in jeopardy once again. We've come so far towards the rare success of having a vast unspoiled forest safeguarded, let’s not undermine all this good work by not reaching the finish line.

Help us tell the BC government that a promise is a promise. Send your message to BC Premier Gordon Campbell today! (Copied to Environment Minister Barry Penner, Agriculture & Lands Minister Stan Hagen, and Forests & Range Minister Pat Bell). Thank you for voicing your support for the Great Bear Rainforest at this critical time.

Click on this link to send your letter www.savethegreatbear.org/keepthepromise

The True Southeast Alaska Experience

Come onboard the Island Odyssey or Snow Goose and experience the true Southeast Alaska adventure. You will not find this type of getaway when traveling onboard a cruise ship. The small ship adventure takes you into remote coastal wilderness - places few get to ever see. Whales, bears and glaciers await you... spectacular scenery, incredible wildlife and ancient coastal cultures. Expect the unexpected and prepare for the Bluewater journey. Picture: Bluewater chef Debra Fontaine and partner Adrienne enjoy an afternoon floating among icebergs and checking out a glacier.