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Tuk hopes to prevent trapped belugas

Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 07, 2008

TUKTOYAKTUK - The Hunters and Trappers Committee (HTC) in Tuktoyaktuk will be using monitors and underwater noise beacons to prevent beluga whales from becoming trapped in the Husky Lakes this summer.

Elders, scientists and members of hunters and trappers committees from five Inuvialuit communities made the decision at a Beluga Entrapment Workshop held in Tuktoyaktuk June 16 to 18.

"We came up with an action plan on the third and final day of the workshop," said Chucky Gruben, a member of the Tuk HTC.

The workshop focused on asking why beluga whales have become trapped inland in recent years and if it was a regular event in the past.

Hunters harvested trapped whales in 2006 because the whales would have starved to death. Community members have decided they would like to prevent whales from becoming trapped inland by ice.

An acoustic expert from the University of British Columbia and a remote sensing expert who was able to interpret satellite photos of Husky Lakes were just two of the experts at the workshop who provided advice and possible solutions.

Both science and traditional knowledge were discussed during the workshop. Elders said in the past, the Inuvialuit tried to ensure that some whales were trapped inland for easier hunting. While this was practised when the Inuvialuit depended on winter whale meat for their survival, it is no longer necessary.

After scientists and researchers explained how belugas can be deterred with underwater sonic devices, elders and HTC members held a private meeting to discuss the options.

"There were a bunch of scenarios we could have used in regards to keeping the whales out but we went with the proven method of using monitors at a couple of sites," said Gruben.

If the Tuk HTC receives the required funding from DFO, they will put two manned monitoring stations in place: one near the ocean where whales enter Husky Lakes, and another station further inland which will use acoustic deterrents.

"We're going to be using what they call 'pingers.' They make a sound in the water and they have been used elsewhere in the world. They seem to do a pretty good job of keeping the whales away," said Gruben.

The pingers will only be used at the inland camp because the water is too deep near the ocean for the noise to be a deterrent.

Gruben said the HTC hopes to have two people at each site from July to mid-August.

"It depends on how much money we can raise," he said.