SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Proposed changes to the NWT Wildlife Act are welcome news to aboriginal hunters in the territory.

Mackenzie Delta hunter Jimmy Kalinek said from what he's heard, the changes are welcome.

Being a 29 year-old Inuvialuit living in Inuvik, Kalinek goes hunting whenever he can. He says that hunting was always a part of his life growing up.

One of the proposed changes would allow youth to hunt at a younger age, two years younger for both big and small game.

"It will be better for the youth, to teach them proper hunting practices at a younger age," said Kalinek.

"That is what we need for the future, smart hunters."

Regardless of the changes, Kalinek believes it's a good practice to come back to the table after adopting the plan and see if it works for everybody.

"It's good that they plan to come back and look at it," he said.

"You can't just put something like this in place and say 'the hell with them'."

In order to keep people from wasting meat and improperly disposing of the animal, higher fines of up to $5,000 are also being proposed.

Kalinek said that the hunters he knows are already responsible, but higher fines will make sure everyone stays within the rules.

"It's making people realize what they should already know, not to waste anything," said Kalinek.

"This might open some eyes to how serious wasting is."

Other changes include the elimination of general hunting licences and residents will be able to start hunting after one year.

Almost a decade after the territorial government first embarked on a review of the legislation the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) has outlined what the new act will look like and what changes people should expect.

Susan Fleck, the director of wildlife for the department, said the consultation process started in 2000, with meetings held across the territory into 2003.

"It builds on all the ideas that were put forward earlier, seven years ago," she said. "Now we're going back out for consultation with those ideas and we want to hear back from people about what they think."

She said the process was delayed because land claim groups wanted a more collaborative approach and in 2005, the GNWT agreed to make new legislation consistent with land claims.

The department's focus shifted to the Species at Risk Act and it was only after it passed in 2009 that ENR's began updating the Wildlife Act, in co-operations with the co-management boards and aboriginal groups.

"It takes time," Fleck said, adding the biggest change to the act has been the collaborative process to put it together.

She said aboriginal peoples' right to hunt, barter and trade has been incorporated into the act, with an acknowledgement land claim agreements would supersede the act. The Wildlife Act will outline how to deal with recommendations from co-management boards, for instance if there's a conservation concern and a board recommends limited tags for a certain species.

With the proposal outlined on ENR's website, the department is soliciting comments. So far, Fleck said she hasn't received any feedback but she anticipates discussion this fall when representatives from the department will present a draft of the legislation in communities across the NWT.

People's suggestions will be incorporated into the draft, which Fleck said Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger plans to present to the legislative assembly next winter. After the document is tabled it'll go to committee with an option for more public opinion and MLAs would have a chance to vote on it during the spring session.

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