The Ministry of Environment has recently updated its policy on the allocation of wildlife harvests. This site provides information about the development of the new policy, the outcomes of this process, and answers some Frequently Asked Questions.
Generally speaking, wildlife populations can be sustainably harvested at the rate at which they would normally increase.
To monitor population integrity and allow for the sustainable harvest of wildlife, staff from the Ministry of Environment:
collect data on the abundance, distribution, and harvests of wildlife, both through field studies and through surveys distributed to hunters;
use these data, in some cases, to calculate the Annual Allowable Harvest (AAH), or the total number of “surplus” animals that can be harvested from a given population without leading to a decline in that population; and
allocate harvest opportunities amongst users.
Allocation is the process by which the available harvest of a particular wildlife population is divided amongst consumptive users, after the rights of First Nations have been considered.
Find out more about the development of the new allocation policy here:
Why did we need a new Harvest Allocation Policy?
The Ministry of Environment needed a consistent and transparent approach for making
allocation
decisions across the province. In the past, decisions had been made through long, and sometimes heated, negotiations amongst staff and stakeholders. A new Harvest Allocation Policy and Procedure was needed:
To implement a decision-making process that is more objective, data-based, and amicable; and
To determine allocation outcomes that are more achievable, efficient, and reflective of stakeholders’ interests.
What guided the development of the new policy?
The development of the new Harvest Allocation Policy and Procedure was guided by input from stakeholders. In 2004, the Ministry convened a Task Group made up of representatives from:
the BC Wildlife Federation (to provide the perspective of resident hunters),
the Guide Outfitters Association of BC,
the BC Trappers Association, and
the Ministry of Environment.
In the early stages of the review process, the Task Group developed Terms of Reference[86KB PDF] and adopted a series of Guiding Principles[45KB PDF] with respect to hunting, guiding, and trapping opportunities.
What were the results of the policy review?
With input provided by the Task Group, the Fish & Wildlife Branch drafted a series of policies and procedures to help staff make allocation decisions. The policies and procedures that have been created or revised as part of this review are:
One of the main outputs of this policy review was the creation of a Harvest Allocation Procedure[241KB PDF]. This procedure will allow staff to make consistent allocation decisions, using relative importance and past
utilization of allocated species by each user group as the key criteria. The results of these criteria are considered in a step-wise decision process that divides the Annual Allowable Harvest (or AAH) between resident hunters and guide outfitters. There are additional rules that constrain this process in order to protect key
values, such as resident priority and guide outfitter viability. For example, minimum share percentages are set for each hunter group. Although the resulting procedure is more detailed and technical than the former policy and procedure[1,305KB PDF], this is necessary for ensuring that allocation decisions are made and applied consistently across the province.
How will Ministry staff apply the Harvest Allocation Procedure?
The revised policies and procedures will take effect beginning in the 2007-08 hunting season and will be fully implemented by the end of the first allocation period (i.e. by 2012). This will be accomplished according to the Harvest Allocation Implementation Plan[35KB PDF]
