Economic Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting In
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Economic Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting in The Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia Produced by Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) with Pacific Analysis Inc. Small Planet Consulting January 2014 Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) Washington, DC ■ 1333 H St., NW ■ Suite 300 East Tower ■ Washington, DC 20005 ■ Tel: 202-347-9203 Stanford University ■ 450 Serra Mall, Building 50, Room 51D ■ Stanford, CA 94305 ■ Tel: 650-723-0894 Email: [email protected] www.responsibletravel.org ■ www.travelersphilanthropy.org Copyright © 2014 Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) Economic Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia was produced by the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and at Stanford University, in order to share knowledge and deepen understanding of critical issues in the field of tourism. When quoting or referencing material contained in this publication, please cite as follows: Center for Responsible Travel, Economic Impact of Bear Viewing and Bear Hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia, Washington, DC: Center for Responsible Travel, 2014, plus page numbers. Photo credits: Spirit or Kermode bear, courtesy of Mike Robbins, The Tourism Company Grizzly bear, Douglas Brown (license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode) Black bear, courtesy of Mike Robbins, The Tourism Company Hunters and bear, Cowgirl Jules (license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode) 2 Purpose of Study and Acknowledgements The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), a research institute headquartered in Washington, D.C. and affiliated with Stanford University, undertook this study to assess the economic impact of bear hunting and viewing tourism in the Central and North Coast of British Columbia, an area designated as the Great Bear Rainforest. The study is intended to fill a void in the literature concerning the value of these two types of wildlife recreation in this specific region. Studies and surveys done over the past three decades have varied somewhat in their methodologies and none, to date, compared bear hunting and viewing for both grizzly and black bears within this specific geographical region. In addition, different economic figures are cited in the media and popular publications, all of which vary widely depending on author and intended audience. The research is based on Stanford University’s academic standards and the protocols of the Institutional Review Board (IRB). For the economic analysis, the study uses the same methodology that Statistics Canada uses to determine the GDP estimates of other industry sectors and therefore the economic estimates are comparable to other Statistics Canada GDP measures. All financial figures are in Canadian dollars. The study involved a site visit and interviews, surveys of bear-viewing companies and guide outfitters, review of past studies and other literature, and collection and analysis of government regulations, practices, and statistics. Those surveyed and many of the interviews were conducted anonymously and therefore individual names, with a few exceptions, are not included. The project was directed by CREST Co-Director Martha Honey, Ph.D., in collaboration with two BC-based experts, statistical analyst Jim Johnson, Managing Principal, Pacific Analytics, Inc. and tourism professional Judy Karwacki, Managing Director, Small Planet Consulting. Claire Menke, CREST Program Associate at Stanford University, oversaw the IRB approval, initial research, and survey analysis. The CREST research and support team in Washington, DC and at Stanford included Kelsey Wiseman, Hayley Pallan, Kehan DeSousa, Austin Cruz, Gwendolyn Burke, Jeanette Lim, Roger Robinson, Ainhoa Aldalur, Alejandra Borja, Samantha Hogenson, and David Krantz. Martha Honey and Jim Johnson wrote the final report. William H. Durham, Ph.D., CREST Co-Director at Stanford University reviewed the research methodology and the final report. The study also built upon the research and approach in an April 2013 study conducted by Rosie Child of Victoria University which examined the economic value of grizzly bear viewing and hunting in virtually the same region. The Center for Responsible Travel would like to thank the following for their assistance: 3 • Rosie Child of the Hakai-Raincoast Applied Conservation Science Lab at the University of Victoria whose April 2013 study examined the economic value of grizzly bear viewing and hunting in virtually the same area. • Douglas Neasloss, Councillor, Kitassoo/Xaixais Band Council and members of the Coastal First Nations’ Bear Working Group who provided information, insights, and interviews. • The technical team (Ian Hatter, Manager; Mike Wolowicz and Carol Wrenshall) with the Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Management Branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO), Victoria, British Columbia who provided statistics and maps and explained BC government policies. • The bear-viewing companies and guide outfitters who participated in the surveys. • The many BC organizations and individuals who provided information and analysis. • Mike Robbins, Chair of the CREST Board and Catherine Ardagh, former CREST Program Associate who initially proposed CREST to undertake this study. Finally, we are grateful to Tides Canada and The Nature Conservancy USA for providing financial support for this project. While this study could not have done without the help of all these people and institutions, the Center for Responsible Travel is solely responsible for its content. 4 Map 1.1: Great Bear Rainforest (GBF) Source: http://alaskaoutdoornews.net/riversinletresort.com/Great-Bear-Rainforest-Park.htm 5 Acronyms AtBC – Aboriginal Tourism BC GOA – Guide Outfitters Association AAH - Annual Allowable Harvests BC – British Columbia GOABC – Guide Outfitters Association of BC BEAB - Black bear GST – Goods and Services Tax BEAG - Grizzly bear HST - Harmonized Sales Tax BCWF – BC Wildlife Federation BMTA - Biodiversity, Mining, and Tourism HCTF - Habitat Conservation Trust Fund Area IRB – Institutional Review Board CBVA-Commercial Bear-viewing Association LEH - Limited Entry Hunting CI – Compulsory Inspection MFLNRO - Minister of Forests, Lands and CORE - Conservation Outdoor Recreation Natural Resource Operations Education MU – Management Units CREST – Center for Responsible Travel CRH – Canadian Non-Resident of BC Hunter NCC – Nature Conservancy of Canada EBM - Ecosystem-Based Management NDP – New Democratic Party EU – European Union NRH - Non-Resident of Canada Hunter FTE – Full time equivalent for employment GBF – Great Bear Rainforest PST – Provincial Sales Tax GBPU - Grizzly Bear Population Units RH – BC Resident Hunter (qualified by place GDP – Gross domestic product or Added of residence and demonstrated completion Value. The contribution to the economy or of hunter safety training) the sum of labor income, interest payments, depreciation, and profits. SLI – Supplementary Labor Income 6 Table of Contents Purpose of Study and Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... 3 Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Executive Summary and Key Findings......................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1: Bear Viewing .............................................................................................................. 16 The Great Bear Rainforest: An Overview ................................................................................ 16 • GBRF Description .......................................................................................................... 16 • Environmental Protection History .................................................................................. 17 • First Nations Trophy Hunting Ban for Bears ................................................................. 18 • Arguments For and Against Bear Hunting ..................................................................... 19 • Previous Economic Studies ............................................................................................ 21 • The CREST Study .......................................................................................................... 22 Analysis of Bear-Viewing Tourism in the Great Bear Rainforest Study Area ......................... 25 • Analysis of Bear-Viewing Companies ........................................................................... 26 • Profile of Companies ...................................................................................................... 28 • Bear-Viewing Data ......................................................................................................... 32 • Employment ................................................................................................................... 34 • First Nations Employment ............................................................................................. 35 Economic Value of Bear Viewing ............................................................................................ 36 • Future Trends ................................................................................................................. 39 Analysis of Visitor Surveys .....................................................................................................