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NUNAVUT
Gabriel Nirlungayuk isn't surprised but is still disappointed to hear that Environment Canada is renewing its plan to have polar bears listed under federal legislation as a species of special concern.

Gabriel Nirlungayuk: Disappointed Environment Canada still intends to list polar bears as a species of special concern. - NNSL file photo

"This has been ongoing for the past two years," said Nirlungayuk, director of wildlife and environment for land claims group Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in Iqaluit. "We did not support the possible listing (in 2008), and we still haven't changed our mind."

Environment Canada announced its renewed intention on July 2 to have polar bears listed under the Species at Risk Act as a "species of special concern," said Mark Johnson, a media relations officer with Environment Canada in an e-mail on July 14. According to the act, species of special concern are those that "may become a threatened or an endangered species" due to "a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats."

Although Nirlungayuk accepts that global warming is having an impact in the North, he also questions how polar bears can be categorized as a special concern when he estimates that the Nunavut bear population has doubled in the past 50 years – to 16,000 from about 8,000.

As far as the consequences of including polar bears under the Species at Risk Act, Nirlungayuk said the decision will not likely affect the number of bears that can be harvested since quota decisions are made by the Nunavut government and the communities. The Government of Nunavut already announced in March 2010 a target of reducing the number of polar bears harvested to 65 from 105 bears by 2014.

Instead, Nirlungayuk is concerned with the optics of how it would be viewed from outside of Nunavut if Inuit hunters are now harvesting a species of special concern.

Nirlungayuk is also bothered by the fact that, although he recognizes that Environment Canada has consulted with his organization as well as the communities, he feels the federal government hasn't been entirely receptive to Inuit concerns offered at those meetings.

"(Environment Canada has) gone to these communities; however, they chose to ignore the comments and concerns by the community up to today," he said.

Johnson said the final decision as to whether polar bears will be listed as a species of special concern is expected in November. A management plan must be completed three years after the listing; however, Johnson anticipates this will be done much sooner, by the fall of 2011.

Despite the criticisms, Johnson supports the decision to include polar bears under the act.

"Canada is home to two-thirds of the global polar bear population and is committed to the conservation of this incredible species," he said. "We have a unique conservation responsibility to protect polar bears and we are taking action through a comprehensive approach to polar bear management, legislation and research."

Still, Nirlungayuk doesn't like the idea of Environment Canada getting involved with the management of polar bears in the North.

"So, now, we're going to have a third party come in and hash things out, and we think we already have a strong regime already, so it's a concern," he said.

Daniel Shewchuk, Nunavut's minister of Environment, couldn't be reached for comment.

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