There was a dispute regarding the numbers of the caribou count in the 15th Assembly. I would like to pose my question to the Minister of ENR today. I would like to ask him if there was a second count using local input and local knowledge, and what was the outcome of the count?
Mr. Speaker, back in 2005, as the Member indicated, there was work done, and we were asked to redo it, just to confirm it. We made sure that we used local people. We worked with various co-management boards, and they in effect confirmed that there has been, in all the herds that had been surveyed, right from Cape Bathurst to the Bluenose, west and east in Bathurst, significant decline. We have done a small amount of work with the Beverly and Dolphin caribou, and initial concerns are there as well. It is anticipated that there will be Porcupine as well that have not been surveyed for about four years or so. This will also be down at least 20 per cent.
I thank the Minister for that. I would like to ask him, based on the dwindling numbers, how much longer can the caribou last?
Mr. Speaker, this is a very complex issue, where there are a number of key factors, including things like the changing climate, resource development, predation, increased insects, hunting. We are very concerned, as the Member is. We are going to continue to invest the funds to do the monitoring.
I’d like to point out that we are the only jurisdiction in, I believe, North America that is doing the amount of work that has been done on caribou, to try to come to a better understanding of what is happening. Clearly the signals are there. We have to pay attention and adjust the things that we can control, which are going to be access to the caribou when hunting, the type of resource development and habitat fragmentation.
So the trends and projections are that things are not looking good. We are committed to monitoring them and working with the co-management boards to make the right decisions to ensure that we don’t let this slide continue.
I’d like to ask the Minister if there have been discussions with the Yukon government as to jointly doing the Porcupine caribou herds, and when can we expect that?
There have been ongoing discussions with the Yukon. They’ve tried to do the surveys during the summers. The last three years have been unsuccessful due to a number of circumstances, be it forest fires or inclement weather. The pressure is on them again this year to do the work. They know it has to be done. We sit on that board, and we are very concerned that we do get an up-to-date census.
Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
I thank the Minister again for that. Last year, I believe, there was a caribou summit held up in Inuvik, and there was a lot of discussion on the demise of the caribou and actions that could be taken to help the caribou herds. People, I think now, are looking for some action. We realize that there is a decline, and now we are looking for some action.
I’d like to ask the Minister if the department has had discussions with the aboriginal governments on the declining numbers, and do they share our concerns with the numbers?
The work that's been done in terms of the caribou numbers has been done in full partnership and co-operation with the aboriginal governments and the various co-management boards that exist all the way up north, with Inuvialuit, Gwich'in, Sahtu, now with the Tlicho. We have consulted as well in the North Slave.
It’s very critical, and we have an obligation and an absolute necessity to make sure we consult with the aboriginal governments, and through the co-management boards, we've done that.
The various co-management boards have reviewed the data that's come in to them and made recommendations that have been acted on in terms of restriction of the hunt and other recommendations they’ve made to try to preserve the herds.
