Dear Editor:
It has been 13 years since the landmark year of 1999, when a shocking total of 39 bears were reportedly shot on the North Shore. Their crime for this destruction was seeking food in human habitat. Our crime in attracting them with our poorly contained attractants, and then destroying them, was far greater.
However, this was a turning point for our community. The sheer scale of bear deaths outraged North Shore residents, and galvanized a few souls who created the North Shore Black Bear Network and its sister organization, the North Shore Black Bear Society.
Over the past 13 years, these organizations, working closely with the Conservation Officers Service, the RCMP, Bear Aware and local government, have sought to explore other, more humane means to control bears entering local human habitat.
North Shore residents and their children have responded magnificently to ongoing education and have assumed a commendable sense of responsibility towards their natural environment, of which the bears are a part. Countless residents have taken the necessary steps to effectively contain their attractants, and thereby discourage bear incursions into human habitat. Over the years, to their credit, this has resulted in a dramatic reduction in bear deaths.
But even one death is one too many. The shocking numbers from 1999 prove that while killing removes the bears, it doesn't prevent others from coming. The answer lies in controlling the things that draw them in the first place. This is an ongoing work-in-progress, requiring the co-operation of all residents in bear-active areas. If you are one of those enlightened souls, give yourself a pat on the back: Somewhere a bear is alive because of you. Thank you.
Mick Webb North Vancouver
