Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Jun 25/01) - Research in the Davis Strait polar bear management zone will be delayed for a few more years.
According to Katherine Trumper, the deputy minister of sustainable development, an overlap with the work in the M'Clintock Channel and a lack of funding from the partners who share the bear population mean the work needs to be postponed.
"We have said 2005, but earlier if we can line up the funding," said Trumper.
The population -- estimated at 1,400 polar bears -- is shared among the governments of Quebec, Labrador, Greenland and Nunavut.
Eighty-one bears are harvested annually by the four different groups. Within Nunavut, the communities of Pangnirtung (14 bears), Kimmirut (2) and Iqaluit (18) hunt the population.
While two decades without study gives the research a sense of urgency, Trumper said the department couldn't afford the project unless all the partners who hunted in the area share the cost.
The seven-year study is estimated to cost $2.5 million. DSD and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board will contribute more than half of the money, but Trumper said the other partners also needed to come through with their share.
"We want the partners involved. They so far have not committed," she said.
Trumper said she remains hopeful that the parties will agree to contribute. Trips to Newfoundland and Greenland have been made and it is expected that Quebec Inuit will express interest in the study once their land claim is finalized.
"I'm very optimistic that we can get some level of commitment. We can't just get one year. We need them in for the long run," said Trumper.
While hunters and guides are anxious for the work to be done -- harvest quotas may be raised depending on the outcome of the research --Trumper said the healthy Davis Strait population means priorities still rest with the troubled M'Clintock Channel population.
Trumper added, however, that some work would proceed in Davis Strait this year with a preliminary study of the bears in the zone. Traditional knowledge work is also scheduled to begin. "We're going to advance the (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit)," said Trumper.
"It was the number one criticism out of M'Clintock --that we didn't do enough (traditional knowledge) work there. We're going to advance that and begin this year."
Trumper said the hunters and trappers associations who hunt in Strait would be consulted on how best to conduct the IQ work.
