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CORAL HARBOUR - The annual caribou harvest near Coral Harbour is being hailed as a success by a spokesperson for the company which oversaw this year's hunt.

Doris Bruce of Sudliq Development Ltd. said this year's harvest was completed earlier this month after running for nine days.

Noel Kaludjak moves caribou carcasses along at the abattoir during the annual caribou harvest in Coral Harbour earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Rob Hedley

She said the quota for this year's harvest was 850 caribou.

"The number of hunters we had for this year's camp varied from five to 10 hunters per day," said Bruce. "The number of people we had employed at the camp also varied, due to how many caribou we were getting on a given day.

"We had about 35 people working on days we had 50 caribou, and 40 people working on days we had near 150 caribou."

Bruce said this was the first time she took part in the harvest and she was impressed by the operation at the camp.

She said people were employed to work as headers, leggers, skinners, hoist operators, torch carriers to burn the fur from the animals, a gutter, splitter, two sections of trimmers and a brisket cutter.

"The meat was shipped out in hinds, loins, shoulders, etc., so the weight of how it was shipped varied, as well.

"We caught 843 of our quota and then the weather turned bad and we decided not to continue."

Bruce said the annual caribou harvest remains very important to Coral Harbour's economy.

She said most of the workers employed at this year's camp did not have full-time employment in the community.

"Getting to work at the camp really helps a number of people in the community.

"Because the camp was only 13.5 kilometres away from town this year, we didn't have anyone sleeping over so we had to hire night crews.

"They kept the foxes, or whatever, away from the camp and we also had a lot of gas and other materials there.

"The community wants the harvest to continue, but we don't know if our company will be involved because it's run on a year-by-year contract that's awarded based on the proposals submitted for it."