Hunters heading out on the narwhal hunt outside Naujaat. - photo courtesy of Arviq HTO

KIVALLIQ
Communities permitted to harvest narwhal received the news that a total of 82 tags will carry over from last summer to this summer's allowable harvest, for a total of 239 tags.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) vice president James Eetoolook made the announcement July 3.

In the Kivalliq, that includes all coastal communities except Arviat, but including Baker Lake.

"The carry-over policy implemented as part of the integrated fisheries management plan for narwhal was extended to cover the 2015 summer harvest of narwhal from the north Hudson Bay sub-population," stated Eetoolook.

Prior to the implementation of the carry-over policy, unused tags were returned to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Inuit lost access to the unused tags. Under the new regime, Regional Wildlife Organization are able to keep the unused tags for one year and re-allocate them to Hunters and Trappers Organizations, according to the NTI press release.

Leah Muckpah, Kivalliq regional co-ordinator for the Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat explains that the carry-over tags are first allocated by region. In the Baffin region that includes Kimmirut, Cape Dorset, Iglulik and Hall Beach sharing 39 tags. The Kivalliq will share 200, allocated among communities by the Kivalliq Wildlife Board.

While sometimes the board keeps floating tags - in other words, hold some back - that's not the case this summer.

"They're not holding any back this year so hunters can fully utilize the tags."

For the chairperson of the Aqigiq Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) in Chesterfield Inlet that's great news. Douglas Aggark says there are quite a few regulars from his town that go narwhal hunting, himself included. The community of just over 300 can access 11 tags, up four from last year's allotment.

"It increases the chance of getting a different type of meal on the table," said Aggark, adding it raises the excitement in the hunters.

"Like most people, I'm happy with the increase. It's a pretty big increase in the allowable harvest. Whatever is caught, they try to help out everybody in the community giving different families so much narwhal maktaaq."

The Chesterfield Inlet hunters will likely make the trip up to (Naujaat), six to eight hours away by boat. Narwhal can be hunted closer, but Aggark says chances of a successful hunt are better closer to Naujaat. It's also more practical. Gas for the return trip is purchased in that community rather than transporting it all at once.

"Having to go to (Naujaat) to hunt them, hunters usually give themselves about two weeks to go. It's a lot of gas, they have to budget for that and the time they are able to take off work," said Aggark

Chesterfield Inlet hunters usually meet up with hunters from other communities about halfway, he adds.

"Plus a lot of the hunters from here have relatives in (Naujaat), so it's a good time for them to see family, as well."

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