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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Hunters won't eat Polar bears on drugs.

That's the message NWT harvesters are sending after Health Canada decided to drastically reduce the number of days they have to wait before eating the meat of polar bears that have been tranquillized.

Health Canada has drastically reduced the number of days hunters have to wait before eating the meat of a tranquillized polar bear. But that doesn't make much difference to NWT hunters, who don't like the idea of eating drugged animals in the first place. - NNSL file photo

“It doesn't make a difference to us,” said Frank Pokiak, chair of the Inuvialuit Game Council. “A lot of people still won't eat it. That's just how they feel.”

Originally, Health Canada asked hunters to wait one year before consuming the meat of polar bears dosed with Telezol and Zoletil, the two main tranquillizers used by scientists studying the animals. Now the time limit is 45 days.

Health Canada spokesperson Joey Rathwell said the change follows research done on the effects of the drugs. This was prompted by complaints from hunters, concerns from Environment Canada and consultation with the Government of Nunavut, which has a more robust polar bear hunting industry.

“Polar bear meat (after 45 days) is considered not to pose any undue risk to humans consuming such products,” she said, adding that this matches U.S. guidelines.

“The tranquillizer Telazol, if given as directed, has been shown not to cause any harm to the animal.”

However, she said no long-term studies have been done on the potential health effects of the tranquillizers on animals.

Pokiak said none of this changes what the elders hear and see.

“As soon as you mention drugs to elders it's something that's bad,” he said. “We have had a lot of concerns.”

He said these worries popped up during a recent pan-Northern workshop on polar bear conservation in Whitehorse, coming from elders and hunters representing communities from Alaska to Nunavut.

“People watch animals injected with hormones on TV,” Pokiak said. “Those drugs aren't good for you, but Health Canada allows all of those drugs.”

Pokiak hasn't been out on a polar bear hunt in a while, but he said this new regulation hasn't changed his mind either.

“Just the thought of the animal being drugged – I wouldn't eat it.”