RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ - Grizzly bears were a hot topic during the final day of wildlife discussions in Rankin Inlet this past week.

Arviat HTO member Leo Ikakhik raises concerns over grizzly bears during wildlife meetings in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Prior to 2008, only 10 grizzly bear tags were available in the region, with five for Baker Lake and five for the rest of Kivalliq.

Hunters, especially those in Arviat and Baker, were shocked to hear the Government of Nunavut (GN) state Inuit could hunt grizzly bears without restriction during meetings in Rankin in 2008.

This year, however, a number of harvesters had their grizzly skins seized by wildlife officers and Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) members wanted answers this past week in Rankin.

Arviat HTO members Thomas Ubluriak and Leo Ikakhik expressed their concerns during the meeting.

Ikakhik said it was time for the harvesters to have the skins given back to them.

"I don't want to repeat what everyone knows and sound like a broken record, but we all understood Inuit are allowed to hunt grizzly without restriction," said Ikakhik.

"Then our harvesters had their skins taken away because, it seemed, like old NWT rules were followed.

"We want to know when our harvesters will get their skins back?"

Wildlife manager trainee Jonathan Pameolik of the Department of the Environment said not being allowed to hunt a female grizzly with cubs was an old regulation followed by wildlife officers.

He said the skins were given to the HTOs in the communities involved.

"We wrote letters informing people in Arviat and Baker Lake that the skins would be given back to their HTOs," said Pameolik.

"It will be up to them to decide if the hunters get their skins back."

Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat director Richard Connelly said every area of Canada and the U.S.A. with grizzly populations has a management plan for them.

He said it's time to develop one in Nunavut and Kivalliq HTOs have to be ready for the process.

"People are looking at us because we've gone from shooting a few bears to shooting 30, including mothers with their cubs," said Connelly.

"Do we shoot all the bears? How do your members feel about that, especially the shooting of a family unit and hunting bears in dens?

"The ball is in the HTO court right now and it's very important for you to be ready to talk to the GN people about these issues when they come to your community."

Kivalliq Wildlife Board chairperson Ross Tatty said the harvesters should be given their grizzly skins back.

He said there's nothing in the Nunavut Wildlife Act that prohibits any grizzly bear from being hunted.

"Since there's nothing in the Act saying they should be charged, they should get their skins with no legal action against them," said Tatty.

"But we're all one country, so we should have a management plan in place like others in Canada to prevent grizzly bears from being overharvested.

"We have to get a management plan in place and we have to do it quickly.

"It's not easy to set up a management plan for any animal, especially grizzly bears, so we have to start getting into it now."