Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to follow up on my statement regarding the moose ticks in the NWT. My question is to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Recently on record, the NWT experienced major impacts on the woodland caribou in terms of their population decline. At the same time, we experienced a major impact on the Mackenzie wood bison population in terms of the anthrax outbreak. Now we’re seeing, perhaps, the vestiges of a warming climate where it’s getting warmer in the NWT.
Has the GNWT identified a risk to the NWT moose from ticks or other insect infestations? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We routinely monitor moose populations and we look at a general health insect infestation, and the one tick that we were paying close attention to see hopefully that doesn’t migrate north, of course, is a tick that causes lime disease. At this point, we don’t believe that particular black legged tick is in the North.
In terms of other ones, we rely on the moose surveys and feedback from hunters. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Minister for providing that response. In parts of Manitoba they’ve placed restrictions in terms of harvesting of moose.
What pre-emptive measures will the department take to protect the NWT from future tick infestations? Mahsi.
Our first strategy, of course, would be to identify if there is a particular tick infestation and the magnitude that would warrant such type of intervention as we’ve demonstrated with the barren land caribou. We’ve tracked things very closely and we will intercede when we think it’s warranted. We also have other legislation, the Species at Risk Act, if we think there are challenges in terms of actually affecting their survival of the species. So we’re going to monitor it, but at this point I have seen nothing that would indicate that we have an infestation of that magnitude. Thank you.
The Minister is on record saying that the only real way to get rid of the ticks would be to put a flea collar on the moose.
How would the department identify and treat affected moose that are impacted by ticks? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I’d have to see that quote that has been attributed to me about putting flea collars on moose. I have no recollection of saying something of that nature. However, be that as it may, the concern that the Member raised is, are we going to work together with communities and hunters and the users of the land and ENR to make sure that we keep an eye, and if there is a tick infestation that we identify that. We take the steps necessary to see that we remediate the situation to the best of our abilities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, in the southern NWT, the Deh Cho location, we’re situated very close to Alberta and there have been records in terms of deer coming up to the NWT, and cougar sightings as well.
Will the department undertake, perhaps, some work with local harvesters and, at the same time, prepare and maybe work on a moose population survey and whether that’s been planned for sometime this fall? Mahsi.
We are at work with other jurisdictions mapping the spread of the black legged tick that usually inhabits deer as it moves around. At this point we don’t think it has moved north, but yes, we are monitoring that, the same as we were keeping our eye on the pine beetle to see if that was going to come north into the boreal forests north of 60. We will, as well, continue to do rotating moose surveys in various jurisdictions to keep track of the herd numbers and health of the moose. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
