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NUNAVUT
Hunters will be able to hunt more polar bears as the harvest quota for this season has almost tripled from last year.

The quota for the 2011-12 polar bear harvest season is increasing from eight to 21 animals. - NNSL file photo

The quota for the 2011-12 harvest season is increasing from eight to 21 bears for the Western Hudson Bay subpopulation, Daniel Shewchuk, the territory's environment minister, announced on Oct. 28. This includes the area around Arviat, Baker Lake, Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet and Chesterfield Inlet.

"In Nunavut, we have seen a remarkable recovery of our polar bear subpopulations since their historic lows in the 1970s," he stated in a press release."This is because our management system is designed to respond and adapt to new information and takes into account both scientific and Inuit traditional knowledge."

This is the first time in three years the quota is increasing as the previous quota of eight was set in 2008.

The department of environment had recommended to increase the quota following consultations with the affected communities and the Kivalliq Regional Wildlife Organization.

Current and historical information from hunters indicate the bear population is increasing.

The affected communities will be consulted this winter about the results from the 2010 and 2011 aerial population survey. Once a new population estimate is available, the territorial government will work with its partners to develop recommendations for a long-term harvest quota.

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