Limit Bluenose East caribou harvest
to 750 bulls until 2019
Wek'eezhii Renewable Resources Board submits final report on herd
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Monday, June 20, 2016
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The Wek'eezhii Renewable Resources Board (WRRB) is recommending a total allowable harvest of 750 bulls from the Bluenose East caribou herd from now until 2019, says the board's chair.
"Our board was asked by Tlicho Government and ENR ( the Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to put a total allowable harvest for the entire herd," said Grant Pryznyk.
The harvesting limit will come into effect in the board's region on July 1.
Tlicho hunters would receive about 39 per cent of the harvest, while the board is recommending other aboriginal groups receive the remaining 61 per cent, including harvesters in Nunavut.
The herd is in serious decline, according to ENR. Surveys completed in 2015 found the population had plummeted by 43 per cent in two years.
There were 68,295 animals in 2013 and only 38,592 in 2015.
Breeding females had declined by 29 per cent every year since 2013, with 34,472 counted in 2013 and only 17,396 counted in 2015.
The Sahtu Renewable Resources Board (SRRB) is evaluating plans submitted by Deline and ENR.
It's final report is scheduled to be released July 18, said executive director Deborah Simmons.
Because the herd migrates between the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board is also working on a management plan.
While Simmons said she couldn't comment on the WRRB's recommendations because the SRRB is still deliberating its plan, she said her board commended the WRRB's consultation process.
"We're just wanting to congratulate them on having been through a very strong consultative process through their hearing proceedings," she said. "I have no doubt that their results reflect the inputs that they received within their region."
The two boards have a history of working collaboratively, Pryznyk said.
Members of both the WRRB and the SRRB attended both boards' public meetings on the Bluenose East herd and have been working together throughout management process, Pryznyk said.
"We have a memorandum of understanding signed for the Bluenose East herd between the Sahtu board and our board to work together," he said.
"Our board went up to their public hearing and their board came down to our public hearing in Behchoko in April."
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board was scheduled to host public meetings on the herd on June 16 and June 17.
The WRRB submitted its final report to ENR and the Tlicho Government on June 13.
News/North requested interviews with the chiefs of Gameti, Wekweeti, Whati and Behchoko, as well as Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus. While interview requests were not granted by press time, the Tlicho Government issued a press release stating the government is now analyzing the board's recommendations.
"Tlicho Government continues to review and digest the WRRB Report and Reasons for Decision," the release stated.
"We are looking forward to working with ENR to implement recommendations of the board."
