Stephanie McDonald
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 26, 2007

NUNAVUT - The Government of Nunavut will be drafting a Caribou Management Strategy over the coming year to deal with the animals' shrinking population and an influx of mining activity.

"We want to ensure that it's a renewable resource and that it is there for future generations," Environment Minister Patterk Netser said.

Imposing quotas for subsistence hunting, protecting calving grounds from hunting and mining activity and setting strict rules for exploration companies could all be included in the strategy, due out next October.

In Kugluktuk, Jack Himiak, chairperson of the Hunters and Trappers Association, said that community members might oppose having a quota to follow, but that it would be the first step to preserving a caribou population in which he has noticed a decline over the past 10 years.

"The people have to start being warned that the caribou is declining and it's declining fast," Himiak said.

"You don't want to continue hunting and then find out 10 years down the line that there is only 100 caribou left. That's a little too late," he said.

Himiak said it's important for Hunters and Trappers Organizations harvesters and scientists to get together to write a management plan to maintain the caribou.

Creating a plan is essential, as caribou is the main source of food for those in the Kitikmeot.

"Everything's pretty expensive, so they rely on native foods," Himiak said of his fellow community members.

Netser said that rules would be written, explaining where mining companies would be allowed to explore.

Himiak said there are a number of exploration sites in the Kugluktuk area with others being developed.

He said, at times, mining activities interfere with the caribou migration and calving.

"If there's a big mining company opened up, there's going to be planes. It's going to be a busy spot. Somehow the caribou will have to find a way to get around them," he said.

Caribou migration routes differ from year to year.

The Department of Environment held its first workshop regarding the strategy Nov. 14 and 16 in Iqaluit, which brought together the government departments involved in the mining industry and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

In the coming year, Department of Environment staff will traverse the territory to hear community members' recommendations on the caribou..

Netser is planning to hold the meetings in decentralized communities for a change, rather than the regional hubs.