Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Repulse Bay (Jun 28/00) - Repulse Bay's self-imposed 100 narwhal quota will stand despite sustainability concerns.

After an often intense meeting earlier this month in the community, it was decided that the three-year pilot program for four communities hunting narwhal will continue.

The meeting was attended by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB), Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), Kivalliq Wildlife Federation (KWF), The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Hunter and Trapper Organizations (HTO) from Repulse, Coral Harbour, Rankin Inlet and Chesterfield Inlet.

After an unrestricted hunt in Repulse last year -- where more than 150 narwhals were landed and another 100 struck and lost -- the Repulse HTO implemented this year's quota.

Coral and Rankin have quotas of 10, while Chesterfield and Whale have quotas of five.

The quotas are set for the Hudson Bay stock.

A letter had been sent to the Repulse HTO late last month, from DFO fisheries management biologist Patrice Simon, saying the 100-narwhal quota was not sustainable.

Simon suggested a quota of 60 narwhals should be put in place for the entire Hudson Bay stock.

"A landed catch of 100 narwhals by Repulse Bay hunters alone is certainly not sustainable," said Simon.

"When we consider lost rate and the narwhal hunted by other communities, the chance of a stock decline is 75 per cent."

NWMB chair Ben Kovic said Simon based his conclusions on data compiled in 1984. He added the information was gathered in one summer and there are some doubts about its reliability.

"This information only appeared after what happened last year in Repulse," said Kovic.

"The DFO is kind of backtracking and should have brought this information ahead of time so we would of made a sound management decision based on that information.

"Other communities and the DFO got nervous about the numbers from last year's harvest in Repulse, but we all agreed this was a three-year pilot project for these communities and we didn't know what the outcome of each season would be."

Kovic said Repulse imposing a quota in an effort to prevent a duplication of last year's hunt is commendable.

"Right after last year's hunt, the community and the HTO worked together to modify what happened so it would be more controlled this year. I have nothing but the highest respect for the way the community and its HTO have handled themselves."

Repulse HTO secretary-manager Paul Mablik said hunts can vary greatly from year to year.

"We never know until the narwhals come in what their numbers will be like," said Mablik. "The DFO will be doing another narwhal survey this summer, so we should find out more about their numbers at that time."