By Greg Fry

Interior First Nations announce moose hunt ban

Sep 5, 2018 | 5:12 PM

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — Two First Nations bands in the Interior have teamed up in an effort to save the moose population.

The Tsilhqot’in Nation and Southern Dakelh Nation Alliance (SDNA) announced today a ban on all Limited Entry Hunts (LEH) for moose within their respective territories.

“This collaboration comes in response to the dire state of declining moose populations in our territories and the lack of effective action by the province of B.C.,” the bands say in a joint news release.

“Despite the unprecedented 2017 wildfires, which have made struggling moose populations in the region even more vulnerable to hunters and predation, the BC Government continues to issue Limited Entry Hunt permits for moose in our territories, contravening recommendations on wildlife management and without the consent of our Nations. As a result of the wildfires, thousands of access routes for hunters and predators have been created while high value habitat for moose has been drastically reduced.”

The bands add the situation is so dire that many of its citizens are deciding not to exercise their Aboriginal rights to hunt moose and going without one of their main food sources for the winter.

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Today’s move follows an announcement made last week by the B.C. government claiming it was taking action to manage the declining moose populations by closing the Oct. 1 to Oct. 14 limited-entry hunt in some areas and closing the moose hunt in portions of other management areas.