Watch Grizzly Bears in British Columbia

The Canadian province of British Columbia closed out 2017 with a ban on grizzly bear hunting, ensuring the bears will flourish in the future. And that means good news for tourists hoping to observe the massive animals in their natural environment.

The ban on grizzly bear hunting was put into immediate effect after it was announced in December, effectively shutting down the spring hunting season that would have started this April. The only exception will be First Nations people who hunt the animals for food and ceremony.

While it’s overall good news for environmentalists and tourists, hunting guides say they lose out. Some groups charge as much as $17,000 for a bear hunting tour. But the province says the revenue and jobs created by ecotourism will make up for the hunting revenue loss. Last year, hunters killed 300 grizzlies and only 50 of those were by First Nations.

Environmentalists cheered the move and called on the government to address the habitat loss faced by the newly protected animals. A recent report called their habitat destruction the most pressing threat to their survival.

British Columbia is home to some 15,000 grizzly bears.