07/31/2019 – 12:46

<https://thefurbearers.com/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_680px/public/field/image/blog_post/2019-07-31-coquitlam-bears-headline-wide.jpg?itok=zOjX7_hF>

The Fur-Bearers believes that a healthy, safe British Columbia includes a well-funded and trained Conservation Officer Service that has appropriate third party oversight and a clear mandate for interacting with wildlife and the public.

Letters sent to and meetings with the Conservation Officer Service and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change staff and leadership through two governments have outlined a growing lack of public trust in the COS, largely due to the propensity for killing wildlife when in the field, a lack of accountability and oversight, and questions about who’s responsible for attractant management. <https://globalnews.ca/news/5707009/3-arrested-bears-killed-coquitlam/> The incident of July 30 in Coquitlam ending in three residents arrested was an unfortunate clash – but one that was entirely predictable.

The Fur-Bearers does not endorse interfering with the efforts of armed law enforcement officers, but note the incident should serve as a message to…