Canada's British Columbia to ban grizzly bear trophy hunting

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - British Columbian plans to stop all grizzly bear trophy hunting throughout the western Canadian province as of Nov. 30, a government minister said on Monday.

Hunting for meat would be allowed to continue, Doug Donaldson, the minister for forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development, said in a statement.
Each year, around 250 of an estimated 15,000 grizzlies in the Pacific Coast province are taken by hunters.
Ending bear trophy hunting "is supported by the vast majority of people across our province," Donaldson said.
The provincial government will consult with First Nations and other stakeholder groups during the fall to determine the next steps as it moves toward ending trophy hunting, it said.
The left-leaning New Democrat government, propped up by the Green Party, took office in British Columbia in June after ousting the Liberals who had ruled the province for 16 years.

(Reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)