Dez Loreen
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Oct 03/05) - Mackenzie Delta hunters attending Inuvialuit Caribou co-management board meetings last month say they have no reason to believe herd numbers are dwindling.

Delta hunters assembled in Whitehorse, Yukon, Sept. 8-11 to discuss the decline of the Cape Bathurst caribou herd, which dwell near Paulatuk.

Hunter Perry Robert shows Nicole Lawson how to gut a caribou during a youth hunt near Rock River last year. Government numbers show caribou in the Delta area are declining. - photo courtesy of Liz Wright

The numbers were presented by the NWT's department of Environment and Natural Resources, which conducted caribou counts in the summer of 2005.

The research showed a dramatic decline in caribou herds found throughout the Mackenzie region. They showed the Cape Bathurst herd dropped from an estimated 17,500 in 1992 to an 2,400 in 2005.

The department's estimates also showed the Bluenose East herd declining from 104,000 in 2000 to 66,600 this year, and the Bluenose West herd dropping from 1987's count of 98,900 to 20,800. Both herds reside predominantly in the Sahtu region.

Hunters say that the staggering decline is news to them. Joseph Arey, an Aklavik-born hunter and member of the Inuvialuit Game Council, said they would've been the first to notice.

"I didn't even know (they were declining) until they told me they were," said Arey.

He said migration patterns have changed, which may have led to inaccuracies in the government's information.

"I know they're declining, but come on, they said by like 80 per cent," said Arey. "That doesn't add up to me."

Ray Case, a wildlife manager with the department said that the decline was natural, but management of these herds needs to be addressed.

"Working with the co-management boards to identify and implement management options is the first step towards ensuring sustainability of the herds," said Case.

Caribou co-management board meetings were also held in the Sahtu Sept. 16 and in Fort McPherson, Sept. 29.

Richard Binder, another hunter who attended the Whitehorse meetings, said he was shocked.

"It was startling. If the numbers are true, something has to be done right away," said Binder.

The results of that study came from head counts, done by government field biologists. The herds were located by satellite collars placed on cows, and photos were taken of mass groups from the air.

Arey doesn't believe the government had correct methods of counting.

"They should have used traditional knowledge," he said.

"The resource board should have gone to elders about this. They still have to count the caribou along the coast near Tuktoyaktuk."

Binder also sees a problem with the tally of caribou.

"Inuvialuit sightings haven't matched up, and people I know haven't had any problems getting caribou," said Binder.

Binder said if herds are indeed in decline, and measures are needed to protect them, game outfitters should be the first to go.

"The initial action would be to stop commercial use of the population," said Binder.

He said aboriginal hunting rights must be protected above all else.

"I'd hate to say it, but this may lead to the Inuvialuit having a quota as well," he said.