Dina Kavik said sea cucumbers around her community are usually black and can be either soft or hard.
The sea cucumbers of Sanikiluaq, normally dark brown to black, are infested with worms and have turned white, hunters in the region say. - photo courtesy of Annie Mercier |
"My husband is a hunter and this summer he noticed that they have turned white and have lots of little white worms inside them," she said.
Upon close inspection those worms appear to be eating away at the creature from the inside, added Kavik.
The hunters think that something is wrong with the water the sea cucumbers live in.
But scientists studying these sea creatures say the reports from Sanikiluaq indicate a state of decay, which would mean the animals are already dead.
"It is doubtful the worms or any other parasites could be the direct cause of death," said Annie Mercier, a scientist in Katevale, Que., who studies sea cucumbers along the coasts of Quebec and around the world.
Mercier said massive deaths usually happen when there is a drastic change in the animal's environment.
"The observed mass mortality is probably not related to global climate changes which occur slowly over a number of years, but rather to a punctual unpredictable event that the sea cucumbers could not cope with," she said.
Change in the water's saltiness or major temperature change because of pollution are possibilities in this case, said Mercier.
People in the region need to know for sure whether or not there was a toxic spill in the area, the depth where the animals were observed and the date the dead sea cucumbers were found if they want more answers from scientists, Mercier said. Sanikiluaq does not have a wildlife officer in town to investigate this matter further.
Hudson Bay MLA Peter Kattuk sought support on the issue from Environment Minister Olayuk Akesuk, who said he would investigate the matter with biologists to find the root of the problem.
Kavik hopes there is a cure for whatever is eating Sanikiluaq's sea cucumbers so they can enjoy them for centuries to come.
Sea Cucumbers at a glance
Information courtesy of Annie Mercier, research scientist with the Society for the Exploration and Valuing of the Environment.
Questions needing answers
Anne Mercier and Jean-Francois Hamel, research scientist with the Society for the Exploration and Valuing of the Environment, say people in Sanikiluaq should get answers to these questions regarding their sea cucumbers:
Quick recipes
Snackable Rings
Boiled sea cucumbers
--Recipes courtesy of the Hamlet of Sanikiluaq