Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the vital issue of protecting our caribou populations. Mr. Speaker, a large amount of consistent and detailed evidence has shown alarming declines in the Bathurst herd caribou population. The remains of the herd are on their wintering grounds, the winter road is about to open and a crucial period in the life of the herd has begun. According to the evidence, continued declines at current rates could result in the collapse of the herd within four or five years. We now know the Beverly herd has suffered this fate. It can happen, and we must do everything in our power to prevent it.
In December the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources took the unprecedented step of declaring an emergency, a temporary ban on the hunting of Bathurst caribou on their main wintering grounds, while we await management guidance from the Wekeezhii Renewable Resources Board. The consequences of this decision are grave most of all for the traditional users of the caribou who depend on the caribou both for food and for cultural sustenance. The action has thus raised serious concerns about the most fundamental constitutional rights of aboriginal people, including the Yellowknives Dene First Nations, which must be resolved.
In speaking with many worried people, I have been asked whether I am for the ban or for continued hunting. Mr. Speaker, I am for the caribou. I believe that, based on the considerable evidence, there is a real danger of permanent, irreversible harm that could lead to the end of the Bathurst caribou herd and its critical role in the lives of generations of people. I believe our first and greatest responsibility is to ensure the Bathurst herd recovers to full strength again. Only this will serve everyone.
Mr. Speaker, the herd’s recovery will require effective, cooperative management based on respect for traditional knowledge and modern science. I will continue to work to bring the parties together and ask that our greatest efforts be applied to protecting this precious resource. The first question we must all ask is: what can I do today to protect the caribou for all time? We must not ignore other important, though more political, issues, but let’s ensure the urgent conservation action needed to protect caribou now is not delayed.
I am asking all those involved to work cooperatively in the best interests of the caribou and the key role that caribou play here in maintaining the long-term health of the land and of the people of the North. I will have questions for the Minister, especially on how the Yellowknives Dene First Nation has been involved in the process to date. Mahsi.
Thank, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
