After a meeting held to discuss the B.C. wildfires that impacted the community of ?Esdilagh, one of six of the Tsilhqot’in Nation communities, it declared a ban on the moose harvest within its traditional territory.
The meeting was held Oct. 5. As a result of firefighting efforts throughout the summer, there are new roads and access to sensitive moose habitat. The Ministry of Forest have left some of these areas open to limited entry hunts for moose, reads a statement from ?Esdilagh.
“As a community who relies on moose as a main staple for sustenance this inaction by the province is very alarming to us. Allowing a moose hunt after the wildfires could decimate the entire moose population in our territory,” said Chief Roy Stump of the ?Esdilagh First Nation.
“We cannot afford to lose anything else and we are alarmed that the province of B.C. has failed to take action.”
Stump said he was proud of the community members for making the decision and flexing its jurisdiction and commitment to preserving and protecting the wildlife for future generations.
“We are willing to forego our Aboriginal rights to hunt moose and we expect the province to rescind the remaining 2017 Limited Entry Hunt authorizations for conservation purposes.
?Esdilagh will commence discussions with conservation officers to develop a collaborative approach to help ensure the public respects ?Esdilagh’s decision.