Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 09/06) - Access to two areas on the Beaufort Sea used by communities to hunt whales are being sold to the highest bidder.

One of the sites is located approximately 70 kilometres out of Tuktoyaktuk. The other area is located north of the Yukon territory.

The area comprises approximately 156,300 hectares of federally-protected marine habitat.

But now the federal government is offering nine-year exploration licences to the successful bidders in consecutive terms of five and four years. A call for bids was announced by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs last week.

Subsistence whale hunters in Tuktoyaktuk are concerned that once the drilling starts, the beluga whales that frequent there will change their migratory patterns, which in turn would make hunting whales difficult.

Max Kotokak is a long-time whaler from the coastal community. He has been heading out onto the open seas in search of whales summer for 30 years.

Kotokak said that one of the nearby protected area is very convenient for hunters in the region.

"Everyone in Tuk goes out near Hendrickson Island," said Kotokak.

"We all use the same area to find them."

Kotokak sits on a committee which oversees ocean activity in the region - the Fisheries Joint Management Committee.

David Nasogaluak, a well-respected elder in Tuktoyaktuk, said the area is protected for a good reason.

"We hunt in that area, and we need those whales there," said Nasogaluak.

"I can't agree with the drilling in any protected area."

Federal government announced on Jan. 3 that companies have until May 2006 to place their bids on the two areas.

Diane Laursen, a spokesperson for Indian and Northern Affairs, said that any bids taken still need to follow regional and federal screening rules before any drilling can be begin.

"Operators have to comply with the regulations in place that are protecting the area," said Laursen.

The beluga hunting grounds were set aside for hunters under the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

Laursen said that the Federal government is only selling rights for exploration licences.

"The licence alone doesn't mean approval of seismic and drilling operations," said Laursen.

Another stipulation of the licence is that no work or activity can occur during the annual migratory months of the beluga whales in late summer.

Once the licence is sold, Laursen said the department will rely heavily on regulatory processes under the Mackenzie Land and Water Act.

The process would include consultations with nearby communities, and proper screening of materials used on site.

"We need to ensure that the beluga whales are always properly safe-guarded," said Laursen.

Tuktoyaktuk's Robert Gruben said he wants to make sure communities have their say.

"That community is us," said Gruben

He said consultations should happen before licences are sold.

"They're trying to say drilling won't interfere with our hunting and harvesting," said Gruben.

"They aren't taking our livelihood into consideration at all. It's all about money to them."