Future directions

Calving grounds and other important habitats
Roads
Climate change
Population surveys
Satellite collars
Youth representatives
Marketing and fundraising

Calving grounds and other important habitats

Industrial development has altered Canada's northern landscape in recent years. The settlement of Aboriginal land claims and the creation of Nunavut in 1999 improved conditions for mineral exploration in this geologically rich frontier. Much of the area is underlain by the Canadian Shield and other heavily mineralized zones. Uranium, diamonds, gold, platinum, nickel, lead, zinc, iron ore and copper hold the most allure.

The BQCMB's 2004 position paper, Protecting Calving Grounds, Post-Calving Areas and Other Important Habitats for Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou, makes five key recommendations for improving the protection of caribou and caribou habitat. With mineral exploration on the ranges of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq barren-ground caribou herds having reached an all-time high – particularly in Nunavut's Kivalliq region where most of the calving grounds are located – government policies aren't adequate to safeguard the herds' traditional calving grounds and other important habitats. The BQCMB has a long history of making strong recommendations on caribou and habitat, and it has recommended to governments that calving and post-calving areas be protected in permanent, legislated protected areas.

Since 2004, the BQCMB has routinely participated in review processes for proposed exploration and development projects on key seasonal caribou habitats in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and was instrumental, along with other like-minded groups, in helping residents of Lutselk’e fight to get the precedent-setting Ur-Energy uranium exploration application at Screech Lake, NWT rejected in 2007. The area in question was south of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary on key Beverly and Ahiak caribou spring migration range.

In recent months, the BQCMB has participated extensively in the review of proposed development projects on the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq calving grounds, such as Uravan Minerals Incorporated’s Garry Lake proposal on the core Beverly calving ground, and AREVA’s majority-owned Kiggavik mine and mill operation. Both proposals are in Nunavut’s Kivalliq Region, near Baker Lake. All BQCMB submissions to regulatory agencies can be downloaded from www.arctic-caribou.com/publications_reports.html.

The BQCMB wants to work closely with communities, governments, industry and conservation agencies in order to acquire much-needed information about the caribou herds and their ranges, and to prescribe measures for caribou protection. Consultation with communities and other stakeholders has been taking place to see what Northerners think of the BQCMB's recommendations. The BQCMB has also distributed a plain language summary of its position paper in English, Inuktitut and Dene to communities and others.

Roads

Increasingly, roads are penetrating the North. These can bring benefits by lowering the cost of imported goods, and prompting new business ventures. They can also bring problems such as increased hunting by outsiders, as has been reported with the new Athabasca Seasonal Road in northern Saskatchewan.

A much bigger project, a proposed road and hydro transmission line running from Manitoba to Nunavut, would connect Nunavut with the rest of Canada for the first time. Three routes were proposed for an all-season road. The BQCMB has stated that any route will inflict damage on the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou. The final report of the road route selection study, released by contractor SNC-Lavalin Inc. in late 2007, endorsed the eastern route between Gillam-Churchill-Rankin Inlet. SNC-Lavalin Inc. is currently making a business case for the eastern route.

Climate change

Global warming is being witnessed first and most intensely in the Arctic, signalling changes to come to other parts of the world. The BQCMB is studying the effects of climate change and industrial development. Our Caribou Monitoring Project aims to create a long-term monitoring system that uses two sources of data: local and traditional knowledge collected through community-based monitoring, and information collected by government and scientists. A 2001-2002 pilot project in Baker Lake and Arviat, Nunavut, interviewed elders and hunters for their observations while out on the land. The BQCMB also held regional workshops to nail down the most logical caribou monitoring indicators in regions around the ranges.

Population surveys

Over decades, caribou herd size may increase and decrease, and may also undergo small or large-scale shifts in distribution. Such changes could result from natural events and human activities. There is concern, though, that human activity could speed up a decline.

Population surveys have traditionally been considered the most important tool available to wildlife managers. Government funding cuts have affected the frequency of costly surveys. In 2008, the Qamanairjuaq herd was successfully surveyed by a team of Nunavut, Manitoba and NWT experts. The results of that survey are still pending.

Youth representatives

BQCMB meetings have brought about an improved level of trust and respect among different aboriginal and government groups, helping both sides to find common ground in their efforts to conserve caribou for the use of future generations.

Now the BQCMB is striving to bring members of the younger generation to the Board table, in the form of youth representatives. It's important to involve young up-and-coming hunters and wildlife managers who can some day step into the shoes of long-time Board members.

As a trial run, two students from Fond du Lac sat in on the May 2006 meeting in Prince Albert. In June 2007, two students from Lac Brochet travelled to the Board's Thompson meeting to speak about a BQCMB-funded project to interview hunters about caribou. In November 2008, two students from South Indian Lake journeyed to the Board's Winnipeg meeting to speak about a community caribou hunt funded by the same BQCMB program.

Marketing and fundraising

The BQCMB is also stepping up marketing and fundraising efforts in order to help the Board build on partnerships, spread the word about its accomplishments and ongoing goals, strengthen financial resources, and make sure government agencies and others recognize the Board's value. The Board's mandate has been renewed until 2012, but it's hoped that it will be able to continue advising on the management of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou herds long after that. A positive development in recent years has been the willingness of industry and non-government organizations to come forward to help the BQCMB accomplish its work, in light of pressing new issues facing the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq barren-ground caribou herds.

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