The Rainforest Conservation Foundation paid $1.35 million to buy out the hunting rights of an outfitter for lands running along the British Columbia coastline in western Canada. The group plans to retire nearly all hunting on the license, though some hunting is mandated as part of owning the license. The group will fill the hunting mandate through moose and deer hunts for food, but no trophies and no bears.

While trophy hunting is increasingly becoming a way to fund conservation efforts around the world, the group thinks trophy hunting is wrong and thus is doing its part to eliminate it. Native tribes in the area agree, but mainly because they feel hunting interferes with their eco-tourism opportunities. It is clear that there are opportunities for sport hunting and eco-tourism to work together in a symbiotic relationship, given success in other parts of the world, such as the CAMPFIRE program (still going strong despite the Zimbabwe government.) But the groups in this process have decided they don't want trophy hunting in the area and have put their money where their mouths are.

The one thing the group might want to consider, however, is changing their name. Rainforest Preservation Foundation might be more appropriate. Conservationists are usually not opposed to hunting in the way that preservationists often are.

Thanks to Jeremy Brown at the Fraser Institute for pointing out the story.