Inuvik (June 20/03) - With so much new development happening in the Beaufort/Delta one of the largest conservation groups in the world is setting up shop here.

The World Wildlife Fund has a network of five million supporters in 90 countries throughout the world.

Dr. Peter Ewins was in Inuvik to take part in the petroleum show and to help set up the office here.

He said along with the pipeline and new industry in the Arctic, the group saw this as an important area to have representation.

"All this new activity here brings into focus the need for balance; for conservation," Ewins said.

"If and when a Mackenzie pipeline is built there will a greater increase in exploration and development in the Beaufort Sea."

Ewins said while the office here is new, the WWF is no stranger in the Arctic. About 30 years ago the WWF undertook a project titled "Whales Beneath the Ice," which studied belugas and bowhead whales.

They have also aided research in the protected areas strategy.

He affirms the group is not anti-hunting or anti-development.

"Our world mission is to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature," he said.

Their mission is to work with the stakeholders to ensure that development is balanced with conservation.

"There are some very key wildlife areas in the Beaufort," he said. "We also know that the federal government currently puts up for lease any area that the oil and gas industry is interested in."

They hope to study these key areas and map them as a guide to industry before too much development occurs. Ewins said this should have happened on the east coast, but now it's too late.

"Whether it's for cod nurseries or endangered whale species, key areas have already been leased off," Ewins said.

"Here, there is still opportunity because you're ahead of the development curve."

"We work very closely with oil and gas companies and they agree with this approach," he said. "They would like to know where these key areas are."

Ewins said the producers would rather have the information early or they run the risk of these "show stoppers" that could shut down a drilling program or seismic activity.

Mike Preston who is Beaufort Sea Conservation project leader came up to Inuvik in the spring to open the office here.

Preston said community-based projects like the one they helped with, using satellite technology to track 30 belugas from Kugmalit Bay, are providing conservationists and industry valuable new information.

"Conventional wisdom was that these belugas spent all their time around the estuary, but as it turns out, this was just a small portion of the time," Preston said.

"They were going out as far as Melville Sound -- they were using migratory corridors on either side of Banks Island."

"When ever we do these community-based studies, we find some pretty stunning results," Preston said.

Ewins says it's important to find out what the habits of the species before development goes too far.

"The biggest problem here isn't with industry, it's with the federal government," Ewins said.

"DIAND hold the key here -- they continue to lease off these areas and that simply has to stop until we identify what the key areas are."