The Commercial Bear Viewing Association and its members value and appreciate conservation projects.
The Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC (CBVA) was formed to promote sustainable bear viewing in British Columbia and aid in the protection of wild bears and their ecosystems.
The Commercial Bear Viewing Association (CBVA) was established in 2001 to bring a unified voice to British Columbia’s commercial bear viewing industry. What began with five operators has grown into an association representing 27 members, working together to promote responsible wildlife tourism and aid in the protection of wild bears and their habitats.
Through industry collaboration, guide certification, best practices and government advocacy, the CBVA has helped shape the standards for ethical and sustainable bear viewing in British Columbia. Their work has contributed to important milestones in bear conservation, including the closure of the grizzly bear hunt in 2017.
When the grizzly bear hunt closed, CBVA operators recognized that if the industry was going to benefit from the opportunity to see bears in the wild, it also had a responsibility to contribute directly to their protection. Since then, CBVA members have collectively raised more than $600,000 for bear conservation projects across British Columbia.
Over the years, the program has supported a wide range of work through the small grant program for bear conservation, reflecting the many challenges facing all of British Columbia’s bear species and the importance of understanding them. Projects have included research into grizzly bear body condition based on salmon availability; understanding black bear genetic connectivity and corridors; bear behaviour and survival following rehabilitation; Indigenous-led conflict response; habitat and food security; and conflict mitigation and community education surrounding coexistence.
The association wanted to do more than create an initiative that served as a one-time response to the closure of the hunt; this is why CBVA members have continued to raise funds year after year. As bear viewing has grown, so has the industry’s ability to contribute to the work needed to understand, respect, protect and coexist with bears.
