Inuvik (Feb 16/04) - Fearing that a longstanding handshake agreement may no longer be enough to protect Beluga Management Zone "1A" from development, the management plan committee wants to make the arrangement legal and binding.

For the past 16 years, industry has respected the wishes of the communities but a recent resurgence of gas and oil exploration in the region has the committee concerned.

Last week, members of the Beaufort Sea Integrated Management Planning Initiative met in Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik with members of local hunters and trappers committees, community corporations and industry to discuss what industry-related activities they will and will not accept in the protected regions.

From the discussions, draft regulations will be created, reviewed and eventually legalized under the federal Oceans Act.

During the meeting in Inuvik, community members discussed everything from whether seasonal seismic testing should be allowed within or near the zones to how the regulations will be policed.

Gina Elliott, integrated management planner with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the regulation process will be a lengthy one.

After creating draft regulations and a management plan, a senior management committee will review the draft, a revised draft will be created and taken to the communities for further consultation before a final draft is sent to Ottawa.

"It will take six to 12 months to be reviewed in Ottawa, where the final management plan will become public," she said.

The Beaufort Sea Beluga Management Plan was created in 1988 to designate Zone 1A as a protection area for beluga whales.

The three zones are Shallow Bay, which is used primarily by Aklavik hunters; Kendall Island, which is used by Inuvik hunters; and Kugmallit Bay, used by Tuktoyaktuk hunters.

These shallow bays are traditional beluga hunting grounds for the Inuvialuit.

No oil and gas exploration or production has taken place in those zones since the 1970s, although two significant discovery licenses were issued a few years ago.

The committee met in Aklavik last week.