Over 600 black bears killed by BC conservation officers in 2023: wildlife charity

A wildlife charity is calling on the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) to be more transparent about where and when it's killing black bears.

The Fur-Bearers puts together a list of the deadliest communities for black bears each summer using data obtained by a freedom of information request.

The non-partisan, registered charity does this with the goal of helping communities make changes to reduce negative encounters, and in turn reduce the number of black bears killed.

“We’re calling on the BCCOS to begin publishing bear kill statistics monthly, by location, for the public to see,” says Lesley Fox, executive director of The Fur-Bearers. “There is no way for communities to do better when they don’t know there’s a problem.”

What The Fur-Bearers received from the BCCOS this year was a list that only highlighted the top 10 communities for black bear deaths:

1. Prince George (76)
2. Kamloops (31)
3. Mackenzie (28)
4. Smithers (24)
5. Quesnel (22)
6. Burns Lake (17)
6. Vanderhoof (17)
8. Squamish (11)
8. Fort St. James (11)
10. Fraser Lake (10)

“Unfortunately, this year the BC COS only provided 10 communities – and did not tell us where they killed 356 of the alarming 603 black bears killed,” notes Fox. “The location of where over 50% of the black bears killed remains unknown by the public, and that’s completely unacceptable both for conservation and government accountability.”

The 603 black bears killed in 2023 is a significant increase from the 500 that were terminated by conservation officers in 2022.

According to The Fur-Bearers, many of the encounters that led to BCCOS officers needing to kill black bears are attributed to a lack of attractant management.

That includes garbage being left unsecured or put curbside inappropriately, fruit from trees being left uncollected, bird feeders and more.

The Fur-Bearers also say that urban expansion and resource development has led to black bears exploring areas that they may otherwise avoid.

Data from The Fur-Bearers states that there have been 4,882 black bears killed by conservation officers in BC between 2015-23.