Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources regarding the steps and process put into place regarding this caribou issue. Mr. Speaker, I have constituents of First Nations background who say to me that some of their people are going hungry. I have constituents who own outfitting lodges that now they can’t bring in people to hunt these caribou and they say they’re going to go hungry. Mr. Speaker, the reality is if you depend on this, people are put at risk. I’m curious as to what steps the Minister has put into place to demonstrate gradual steps as opposed to just cutting everyone off and saying no caribou. Did the Minister set up a self-management, independent step where groups could monitor themselves and manage themselves at a lower incremental rate to still protect the caribou? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the challenges for this part of the country is there is no harvest management plan for the Bathurst herd. We know that back in 2006, when the numbers were about 100,000 to 120,000, the red flags were raised. Three years later, we’re down to around 30,000 animals. We are now in what I would call the red zone. There is a requirement for constructive action, which we have taken. We recognize the need to accommodate that. We have done that. We recognize there’s an impact on businesses. ITI is working with that. There are funds in the budget to help offset and then look at other measures to look at work that may be different and not tied to the caribou. There should be no reason for anyone to go hungry. The opportunity is there. It’s working in the Tlicho. We can sort something out with the Yellowknives. The key is to protect the Bathurst herd to ensure that future generations, in fact, do have a resource that they can continue to harvest. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, if this was on the radar for so long, why didn’t the Department of ENR manage what I would define as a sustainable hunt? And I would balance it equally between the local, traditional people who need to hunt this for food as well as, of course, the business type of people such as the outfitters who depend on this, who hire local people, and that meat goes to food. Mr. Speaker, we have two large impacted groups that if this was in the red zone continually, why wasn’t early on a number identified so these groups could work together and find a manageable balance? Thank you.
There were some clear signals given when the outfitters’ tags were initially reduced. The signals got worse as the census information came in. Once again, I’ll point out the complexities and challenges in this part of the Northwest Territories where you have the Tlicho Government with their Wekeezhii process and unsettled claims areas sharing and harvesting from the same herd along with other stakeholders from the south. There was no clear consensus and plan. We’re now past the point of being able to take a long, thoughtful look at this. There was a requirement for action to protect the herd and we’ve taken that measure. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, quite simply put: when did the Minister go out to, whether it’s an aboriginal hunting organization, if I may define them in that way, such as the chiefs or the bands, and certainly with the outfitters of saying what could be your bare minimum that could get you through the winter until we can get these types of boards such as the Wekeezhii board to make that decision? When was that type of discussion going to take place or when did that discussion take place by empowering them to make the decisions for themselves as opposed to government flying in and saying you’re done? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, late September we had a press conference over here in the meeting room when we had the results that came in from all the work that has been going on doing the herd census. At that point we indicated at the table with the grand chief of the Tlicho as well as the national chief for the Dene Nation, the Tlicho chiefs, and we raised the issue and put the numbers on the table, that this herd was in critical condition, that by the end of December 31st, we had to come up with some clear measures that we are going to protect the herd to allow them to survive. The plan was to have the Wekeezhii process meet that need. Unfortunately, that process is still underway and will not be concluded until sometime in April or May. In the meantime, the required action, which is why we used -- after great thought and careful consideration -- the authority that we have to respond to emergency measures when it comes to conservation issues like this. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I try not to impress upon anyone that I am an environmental scientist in the area of caribou study in no way or no matter, but the reality is I am sure that there could have been an identifiable number said that we can find a minimum. That is what I am talking about; about making sure that people can eat and people can fulfill some of their traditional lifestyles without the government impeding on that type of philosophy. Mr. Speaker, is it too late for this government to find a balance to work out with the First Nations people of this area as well as finding a way for outfitters to survive through this crisis? Everyone is going to be left miserable in this process. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, everything I have seen indicates to me that there is no amount of sustainable harvest on the Bathurst that will allow the herd to survive at this point. We have made other arrangements. We have had and do have offers to help hunt outside the no-hunting zone. There are a couple of herds that, for this year at least, can sustain some extra harvest, the Bluenose-East and the Ahiak. Our hierarchy is set up. When there are restrictions, we start with removing the commercial harvest, the outfitters, the resident tags, and we work very hard and long to protect the aboriginal harvest. That is what we are doing in this case. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
