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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Talks about opening an unrestricted aboriginal caribou harvest, following on the heels of an incomplete population survey of the Bluenose-East herd that tends to winter near Behchoko, has a Yellowknife MLA seeing red.

Although the survey could not be completed last summer due to weather, the population of the herd is believed to be at about 100,000 animals, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger said in the legislative assembly on Tuesday.

"These numbers give us an opportunity to open discussions about an unrestricted aboriginal harvest as well as the possibility of considering a limited resident harvest on this herd," said Miltenberger.

Bob Bromley, MLA for Weledeh, said considering an unrestricted aboriginal harvest before setting aside a single tag for resident hunters is insulting to those hunters.

Since 2010, the Bluenose-East herd has been at record numbers in terms of population, and yet no tags have been issued to resident hunters, Bromley told Yellowknifer on Wednesday.

During that same time period, all other barrenground caribou herds have been closed to non-aboriginal harvesting as well.

"Finally the minister is talking about it for the 2013-14 hunting season, which is four years after they recovered to above normal levels," Bromley said. "Obviously, the resident hunter is being very mistreated here."

When asked what was holding things up, Bromley pulled no punches.

"I think it's lack of action on the minister's part. It's his responsibility and I lay it squarely on his shoulders," he said of Miltenberger. "He's not sticking up for all people."

Both unlimited aboriginal harvesting and issuing resident hunter tags for the Bluenose-East herd bears discussion, Miltenberger told Yellowknifer. However, the aboriginal subsistence harvest must be given priority.

"The implication is in some quarters that unrestricted subsistence harvesting means that aboriginal hunters are going to be going out all over the place and shooting every caribou that they see, and that's not what happens," he said. "Everybody is very careful and knows that the herds need to be carefully managed. The aboriginal hunters will show the respect that they have over centuries."

All parties are aware and agree that the caribou need help, said Miltenberger. However, balancing this with people's harvesting needs is a delicate issue.

The tension between Bromley and Miltenberger was evident during question period in the legislative assembly on Tuesday. Bromley asked Miltenberger how he could enforce a "total caribou deprivation for resident hunter families" while the Bluenose-East herd is at record population numbers.

In response, Miltenberger said that, in the NWT, the process is to give aboriginal rights holders priority access to wildlife.

"When there are restrictions, aboriginal subsistence harvest gets protected and we work our way down from commercial harvest to resident harvest, and then the last to be protected at all costs is the aboriginal subsistence harvest," said Miltenberger.

"Gobbledygook," said Bromley once Miltenberger had finished.

Miltenberger went on to say that this argument does not apply when talking about putting a resident quota in place on a caribou herd that is at record numbers and when an unlimited aboriginal harvest is being considered.

"Gobbledygook implies that it's unintelligible and no one can understand what I'm saying," said Miltenberger. "I think the member can understand what I'm saying, he just doesn't like it."

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