B.C. First Nations hope to protect Spirit bears with ban on black bear hunting A ban on black bear hunting in parts of the Great Bear Rainforest has the Kitasoo Xai'xais, and Gitga'at Nations hopeful a revitalization of the species will develop, a July 19 announcement stated. The Ministry of Forests announced a year-round black bear hunting closure from July 1, 2022, to June 20, 2024, in 8,158 square kilometres of Great Bear Rainforest between Prince Rupert and Bella Coola. Black bears are culturally significant, and the species includes Kermode bears or Spirit bears. In the Gitga'at language they are known as Moksgm'ol and hold traditional and economic significance to the Kitasoo Xai'xais and Gitga'at First Nations. Spirit bears are black bears with a rare genetic mutation that turns their coat white. Around one in ten black bears have distinct white fur in these two Nations' territories, which has the highest global prevalence of the animal. In the Kitasoo Xai'xais and Gitga'at
Post: 21 July 09:01
