Nunavut raises polar bear quota
Minister of Environment says increase due to more bears sighted in communities
Nunavut's Minister of Environment Dan Shewchuk announced Friday the polar bear quota in the Western Hudson Bay area will be raised to 21 from eight- The Government of Nunavut will raise the polar bear quota in the Western Hudson Bay area to 21 from eight, Minister of Environment Dan Shewchuk announced Friday.
The total allowable harvest for polar bears from the Western Hudson Bay population was slashed in 2007 to 38 from 56, and then to eight the following year.
"The increase is because we have listened to the communities and Inuit knowledge and there are more bears being sighted, more bears in the communities," said Shewchuk. "So we felt, at this time, for this period of one year, that we would take and use Inuit knowledge and increase the quota."
According to Environment Canada, Canada is home to about 15,500 of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in global polar regions.
The exact size of the Western Hudson Bay population is not known but people in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut say polar bears are becoming such a problem in some communities that self-defence kills have become more common.
Jimmy Muckpah Napayok, 18, killed a bear Thursday night near his home in Arviat. He was confronted by the bear, which had been attacking his dog team.
"The bears are not in decline," said Lois Suluk-Locke, a resident of Arviat. "There's been so many and it's been so scary. I am so happy that the quota was raised and they will be put to good use."
Shewchuk said Nunavut may be criticized for raising polar bear quotas but he said an in-depth population survey was recently completed and those numbers will be used to determine next year's quota.
"The increase is because we have listened to the communities and Inuit knowledge and there are more bears being sighted, more bears in the communities," said Shewchuk. "So we felt, at this time, for this period of one year, that we would take and use Inuit knowledge and increase the quota."
According to Environment Canada, Canada is home to about 15,500 of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in global polar regions.
The exact size of the Western Hudson Bay population is not known but people in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut say polar bears are becoming such a problem in some communities that self-defence kills have become more common.
Jimmy Muckpah Napayok, 18, killed a bear Thursday night near his home in Arviat. He was confronted by the bear, which had been attacking his dog team.
"The bears are not in decline," said Lois Suluk-Locke, a resident of Arviat. "There's been so many and it's been so scary. I am so happy that the quota was raised and they will be put to good use."
Shewchuk said Nunavut may be criticized for raising polar bear quotas but he said an in-depth population survey was recently completed and those numbers will be used to determine next year's quota.
Posts
2 comments:
There are more sightings because the bears are STARVING! I've been wondering when they would figure out it's easier to eat 'the other white meat' (humans) than to try and find enough ice to get them to the seals...
you and I are in sync on this..........we take away the ice............no seals.........starvation,,,,,,,,,same as when we razed the forests and took out the deer..........wolves and cougars started going crazy on livestock.........same with buffalo extirpated, wolves driven to the cow pasture for food
Post a Comment