Following up on questions from Aivilik MLA Solomon Malliki, Baker Lake MLA Craig Simailak asked the minister of environment whether the government agrees with the designation of barren-ground caribou as threatened under the Species at Risk Act.
“As the minister is aware, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board exchanged correspondence with the federal minister of environment last year concerning the federal government’s proposal to list barren-ground caribou as ‘threatened’ under the federal Species at Risk Act,” said Simailak in the legislative assembly Nov. 6.
“In his letter dated July 20, 2022, the acting chair of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board indicated that the board had, and I quote, ‘approved the listing of barren-ground caribou as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act, with the condition that recovery planning will be undertaken on a herd-by-herd basis.’”
Daniel Qavvik, minister of environment, responded that the Government of Nunavut does not support the listing of barren-ground caribou as threatened.
“I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Kivalliq members of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board,” said Simailak. “Can the minister indicate what discussions he and his department are currently having with the board concerning the Species at Risk listing?”
Qavvik replied that the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed barren-ground caribou as threatened in 2016. Environment and Climate Change Canada was given between January and October 2029 to complete consultations on the potential listing of barren-ground caribou with affected communities and provincial and territorial governments.
“Relevant co-management partners were permitted an extension due to additional needs to identify the consultation,” said Qavvik. “Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the community consultations by Environment and Climate Change Canada were considered inadequate by some communities and additional consultations for the listing of barren-ground caribou started in 2020 and (were) completed by Environment and Climate Change Canada. These additional consultations were completed, and the consultation record was provided by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.”
Simailak’s final question asked for clarification on how the environment department would be supporting hunter and trapper organizations in the Kivalliq to participate in herd management and recovery plans.
“The listing of barren-ground caribou under the Species at Risk Act would result in the federally required recovery strategy and the identification of critical habitat,” replied Qavvik. “Once critical habitat is identified, federal staff would work with its partners to find the best methods to protect that habitat from activities that would negatively impact the consultation recovery strategy.”
He went on to say the department would continue to communicate its position based on the best available science and Indigenous knowledge would continue to monitor the Qamani’tuaq caribou herd at that area, as well as consult with the hunters and trappers organizations and the affected communities in the Kivalliq region.
ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᐱᖅᖁᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᐃᕕᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᒧᑦ ᓵᓚᒪᓐ ᒪᓕᑭᒥᑦ, ᖃᒥᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎ ᑯᕇᒡ ᓯᒪᐃᓚᒃ ᐊᐱᕆᔪᖅ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᒥᒃ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᖃᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᖢᒋᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᒃᑯᑦ.
“ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᖕᒪᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᒧᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᓂ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᓯᐅᖅᑕᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᖁᑉᓗᒋᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ‘ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᕐᓂᕐᒦᑦᑐᑦ’-ᑐᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᖢᒋᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᖅ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᒪᐃᓚᒃ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᑲᑕᒑᕆᕝᕕᒃ 6-ᒥᑦ.
“ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᖓᓂᑦ ᐅᑉᓗᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᒡᒐᕉᑦ 20, 2022-ᒥᑦ, ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓇᖐᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔩᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓗᒍ, ‘ᓈᒻᒪᒃᓴᖅᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᕐᓂᕐᒦᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᑎᒍᑦ, ᖃᓄᐃᖓᓂᖃᕆᐊᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒥᕐᕋᓂᑦ-ᐊᒥᕐᕋᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᕿᒃᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ.’”
ᑖᓂᐊ ᖃᕝᕕᒃ, ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᑭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᙱᑕᖓᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ.
“ᒫᓐᓇ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔪᒪᔭᒃᑲ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐸᕗᓕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᒪᓂᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᑐᒃᑐᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᖏᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᒪᐃᓚᒃ. “ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᕈᖕᓇᖅᐸ ᓱᓇᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᖓᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᖓ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓄᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᕐᒥᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ?”
ᖃᕝᕕᒃ ᑭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐊᓛᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖓᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᑐᑦ ᓂᕐᔪᑎᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ 2016-ᒥᑦ. ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᖅᖀᓐᓇᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᓖᑦ 2029-ᒥᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓯᒪᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒋᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ ᓄᓇᖏᑦ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᐅᔪᓂᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖕᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ.
“ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᖃᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᔭᖏᑦ ᐅᐃᒍᒋᐊᖅᓯᔪᖕᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᖕᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᕝᕕᒃ. “ᐊᒻᒪᓗ, ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔩᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᓈᒻᒫᓂᙱᓐᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᕐᓃᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ 2020-ᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐊᓂᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ. ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᑉᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ.”
ᓯᒪᐃᓚᐅᑉ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᖁᑎᖓᓂᑦ ᐊᐱᕆᔪᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᖁᔨᑉᓗᓂ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᐊᓛᖑᔪᓂᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓂᑦ.
“ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᖅᑑᕈᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓗᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ,” ᑭᐅᔪᖅ ᖃᕝᕕᒃ. “ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᓗᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᔭᐅᒃᐸᑕ, ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᖏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓂᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᓛᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᒥᐊᓂᕆᓂᐊᕐᓗᒍ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓇᔭᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᖅᑑᕈᑕᐅᔪᒧᑦ.”
ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᐅᓛᑦ ᒪᓂᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᓱᒃᑐᓕᕆᕐᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᖄᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᑐᒃᑐᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒋᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᔨᐊᓛᖑᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ.
