Kivalliq (July 12/06) - Hunters in Coral Harbour and Arviat may have been noticing strange things in the animals they hunt, but an Ontario researcher says there is nothing to fear, yet.

Gordon Balch, an eco-toxicology specialist at Trent University, studied tissue samples from Arctic char, seals and whales.

Nunavut hunters have reported that animals like caribou and polar bears are thinner than they were years ago. - photo courtesy of World Wildlife Fund

He found low levels of DDT and PCBs, pollutants already well documented in the territory's environment by other studies. Fortunately these contaminants have been decreasing.

Unfortunately, a few others like brominated flame retardants - found in upholstery - are increasing and should be monitored, he cautioned.

He says Nunavummiut should be vigilant, but not distressed.

Balch, with funds from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), wanted to find out whether these toxic chemicals are affecting the health of the animals. Ultimately, even though he enlisted help from harvesters in Arviat, Coral Harbour and Pangnirtung, the sample size was too small to reach a sound conclusion, he said.

Although he couldn't draw any link between contaminant levels and animal health, Balch said harvesters from different communities have been reporting common observations like off-coloured blubber in seals and beluga whales; decreasing amounts of fat on the rumps of caribou; more parasites in some animals; and internal organs beginning to adhere to the body cavity.

In an interview for a WWF traditional knowledge survey, Coral Harbour's Joanassie Nakoolak remarked: "I have seen caribou that have cysts and yellowish-like mucus and white, round dots on the meat. When they have those on the body nobody will eat them."

Balch said all these observations give the impression that some subtle changes are taking place. But whether these changes are a sign of danger due to pollutants or adaptations to global warming and resulting impacts on habitat is something that requires much more study, he said.

Some of the additional research will begin next year, which has been declared International Polar Year, Balch noted.

"The sky's not going to fall in. People should carry on as they always have been," he advised.

"But things are changing in the North ... We can't predict what the future will bring."