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IKAAHUK/SACHS HARBOUR
Sachs Harbour's first muskox harvest in three years netted 251 animals in just over two weeks.

Kyle Wolki trims a muskox carcass during the harvest, which ran from Nov. 18 to Dec. 4. - photo courtesy of Jiri Raska

The numbers, according to harvest manager Jiri Raska, are something the Banks Island community should be proud of.

"We were basically almost set up to fail," he said. "I would say we did really awesome, and it's thanks to all the people who showed up every day and worked really hard."

In 2008 the harvest was run by the locally-owned Muskox Product Company, which faced workforce issues, overrun in costs and a growing debt.

The Business Development and Investment Corporation of the NWT formed a subsidiary company to purchase its assets and take over business, and organized the fall harvest in partnership with the Inuvialuit Community Economic Development Organization.

Raska said their goal is to get the harvest back up and running, and then train someone locally to take over its management.

"One of the biggest problems of the harvest, year after year, is finding labourers," he said. "That was not an issue this year, I would say."

The harvest ran from Nov. 18 to Dec. 4 and employed approximately 30 people from Sachs Harbour. In addition, six workers were flown in from Inuvik, as well as two harvest veterans from Alberta.

"Everybody that wanted to work could work," said Joey Carpenter, a Sachs Harbour resident and board member of the newly-formed company.

"We're in an isolated area far from the mainland, so when employment comes along everyone jumps in with both feet."

The initial goal for the harvest was 400 animals, but a number of complications brought the numbers down.

"We had some problems -- very normal, common things – but they can stop you dead in your tracks," Raska said.

The harvest camp had its generators shut down because of poor fuel quality and faced a storm that let dozens of muskox free on Dec. 5.

Without a working generator, the makeshift harvest camp was without electricity and running water for a number of days. They also had to do repairs on the equipment, which was old and in bad shape.

"We didn't get as much muskox as we wanted to get, but all in all it went alright," Carpenter said.

Muskox meat has already been distributed to community members in Sachs Harbour, and the remaining meat, horns and hides will be sold across the territory. In Inuvik, residents can purchase meat at Stanton's.

The muskox offal will be set out on sea ice in the spring, and the muskox qiviut, or wool, will be sold outside the territory.

The commercial muskox harvest in Sachs Harbour was first established in 1981 to provide sustainable income for the community, and satisfy the commercial demand for muskox meat, leather, fur and other goods.

In the coming months, consultations will be held with the community, the local Hunters and Trappers Committee and other stakeholders to find ways to improve the next harvest.

"We're doing everything we can, and the government is doing everything they can, to make sure the community has a say," Raska said.

There are approximately 60,000 muskox on Banks Island, according to Raska.

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