Repulse Bay (Feb 11/04) - Hunters in Repulse Bay are slowly trying to take back the management of narwhal hunting in the community.

The Hunters and Trappers Organization, Arviq, is one of five organizations participating in a community regulatory project.

Now, after a three-year trial period, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board has started another round of trials to try to work out the kinks.

"I think the project has been highly successful," said Jim Noble, chief operating officer for Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. "There are still some issues that need to be addressed."

This time the wildlife board has extended the project for five years.

An issue that has to be resolved is the struck and loss rate, said Noble. The rate is a record of how many narwhals have been killed, but not brought in.

"Some communities have kept really good records and others haven't," he said.

"It's pretty hard to have accurate numbers unless someone is in the boat with the men keeping track."

"One thing we're looking at is having more educational programs to help hunters," said Noble.

Noble admits that it's going to be a long process before the system is perfect, but it will be more beneficial to Inuit hunters.

"For a long time Inuit hunters have been regulated by someone else. Now we're trying to give it back to them. We hope by giving them more control it will mean better management of the narwhals," he said.

No one at Arviq was available for comment.