Caribou hunting worth $3.1 million
Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Mar 12/01) - A growing number of big game hunters see the Northwest Territories as a place to bag something for the trophy case, numbers from a recently released survey suggest.
This growing sector of the NWT economy contributed $3.1 million to the NWT's annual gross domestic product in 1999, up 63 per cent from $1.9 million in 1993. The survey was done last year and covers 1999. A similar survey was completed in 1994 covering 1993 data.
Although only a small percentage of the territory's total GDP the $3.1 million is generated by just ten outfitting companies serving mainly game hunters seeking barren ground caribou.
"Big game outfitting is a growing business sector that creates jobs, earns foreign exchange, and contributes to the overall health of the NWT," says Jim Peterson, president of the NWT Barren Ground Caribou Outfitters Association.
The survey, entitled Economic Benefits of Outfitted Hunts for Barren-ground Caribou in the Northwest Territories, was recently tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
In 1999, the NWT's ten game hunting outfitters had revenues of $3.3 million. They spent $2.2 million in the NWT on salaries, supplies and other business expenses.
As well as the money they paid to outfitters, hunters spent additional dollars -- just under $1 million -- in the NWT. This went to air travel within the NWT, tips, licences, taxidermy and meat processing, souvenirs and more. An average hunter left $305 in tips and spent $260 on local transportation.
Big game hunting generates seasonal jobs for 109 people in the NWT.
Federal and territorial governments also benefit through licence, tag and trophy fees.
The industry has grown to 11 outfitters today from five in 1982.
In 1999, outfitters provided hunts for 595 non-residents with 921 caribou harvested. In 1993, 293 non-resident hunters harvested 409 barren ground caribou.
Based on revenue totals, each caribou harvested in 1999 was worth $3,400 to the NWT's economy, according to the study.
Based on gross outfitter revenue and additional spending, the average non-resident hunter spends about $7,200 on a caribou hunting excursion in the NWT.
Another benefit of big game hunting is meat which gets distributed to communities.
In 1999, over half (20,700 kilograms) of the caribou meat harvested by non-resident hunters was given to outfitter staff and transported to communities.
The value of the meat -- determined by how much it would cost to replace caribou with beef products -- is between $160,100 and $291,700.
