The Wild World of Ecotourism

Let's talk about the economy. An exciting start to any conversation, right? Here's the thing: events like Ontario's spring bear hunt are pushed by governments because they look at the financial impact of them. But here's the thing: hunting and trapping aren't the only activities that bring in dollars to the province. In fact, ecotourism as a whole is a multi-billion dollar industry in Ontario and British Columbia – and hunting is a tiny fraction of the cash flow created. In the last episode of the show we spoke about the spring bear hunt in Ontario – and if you haven't heard that episode along with advocacy options please do go back and listen to it. In this episode we're talking about the wild world of ecotourism in general terms through the experiences of an ethical and successful operator, Eric Boyum. The owner/operator of Ocean Adventures on the coast of beautiful British Columbia, Eric and his partner and photographer extraordinaire Trish take both local residents and international visitors to explore the coastline, see the beauty of the natural environment and get a chance to witness and photograph stunning wildlife. Eric joined Defender Radio recently to discuss his business and experience, the opportunities that exist for people with outdoor experience in the ecotourism sector and the ethics and considerations he takes into account on a daily basis. Ocean Adventures: www.OceanAdventures.bc.ca Referenced article about polar bear killing a dog: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/frightening-truth-behind-viral-video-polar-bear-petting-dog Defender Radio social media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefenderRadio/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/defenderradio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howiemichael/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FurBearerDefenders Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio