(Monday, August 14, 2017) - With less than 24 hours before the fall bear hunt opens in parts of British Columbia, the NDP government has announced a ban on the grizzly bear trophy hunt province-wide and to stop all hunting of grizzlies in the Great Bear Rainforest, effective Nov. 30, 2017. “Todays announcement by the NDP with the support of the BC Green Party is long overdue and Pacific Wild congratulates Premier Horgan for taking this interim step towards the protection of one of our most iconic and magnificent land mammals," said Pacific Wild’s Executive Director Ian McAllister. “However, the fact that this seasons fall trophy hunt will still go forward allowing hundreds of grizzly bears to die an unnecessary death makes this announcement hard to celebrate.” The other contention is that the government is allowing for grizzly bears to be killed for trophy as long as meat is taken from the carcass. “Clearly the government choked and once again capitulated to the trophy hunters by ensuring that grizzly bears can still be killed, only now they take some of the meat with them in addition to the trophy hide,” stated McAllister. Since the BC Liberals overturned a moratorium on the trophy hunt, thousands of grizzly bears have died unnecessarily. This announcement takes us a step closer towards building an economy built on non-extractive, sustainable wildlife based viewing that will no longer be at odds with the trophy hunt.