Notice of public consultation on recommended regulation changes
October 2005
A notice to all Porcupine Caribou hunters and other interested parties:
Pursuant to Section E of the Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement, the Porcupine Caribou Management Board (PCMB) is required to make regulation recommendations to the Minister, as deemed appropriate by the Board. To that end, this summer we sought public input on three issues. At that time we presented interested organizations and the public with some background on the issues and the current regulations as well as proposed regulation changes. We have received feedback from various organizations and individuals about those proposed regulation changes.
As a final step in our consultation process, we will be holding a public meeting in Whitehorse, beginning with a presentation of information and background. Members of the public will then be invited to provide additional input.
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Public Information and Consultation Meeting
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| Date: |
Tuesday, November 1, 2005 |
| Time: |
7:00 p.m. |
| Location: |
Yukon Inn, Fireside Meeting Room |
The Board invites parties to provide further written submissions within 14 days following this meeting.
We will be notifying the public of our final recommendations to the Government of Yukon arising from our consultation in our "Caribou Update" column in the Yukon News.
For your convenience, the following is a review of recommendations for which we seek comments:
(1) Hunting Season
The herd has clearly demonstrated a slow but steady decline. The current season for resident hunters is six months. The Board proposed to recommend that Government of Yukon and Government of Northwest Territories limit the hunting season of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH) by resident hunters in the NWT and resident and non resident hunters in the Yukon to a three-month period when the herd is within the Dempster Highway subzones.
Rationale: The existing six-month season for resident hunters is inconsistent with the growing conservation concerns for the herd. This proposal is not intended to limit the hunting of other herds that use these same subzones. The most appropriate time to implement the three-month season should be determined by the territorial governments. The majority of the resident harvest occurs in the first six weeks after the herd arrives on the Dempster Highway (approximately the end of October to mid-November on the Yukon side and mid-September to the end of October on the NWT side). Therefore, the season should be timed to coincide with the accessibility of the herd. Yukon outfitters harvest other caribou within the range of the PCH prior to September 15. The intent is not to reduce their allowable harvest.
(2) 500-metre no-hunting corridor
The Board recognizes that the current corridor exists in areas and at times when there are no safety issues. However, there are still safety concerns in three areas during the highly active hunting periods. There is also concern about over-regulation that might unduly restrict aboriginal hunting rights at times and in areas of minimal safety concerns.
The Board proposes to recommend that Government of Yukon maintain the 500-metre no caribou hunting corridor (either side of the Dempster Highway) within three key areas: Blackstone (km 76.8 to km 129.5), Horseshoe (km 263 to 286), and Arctic Circle (km 389.5 to km 465) for all hunters. A map identifying these three areas is available for your reference. These areas total about 151 km, and the Dempster Highway runs through approximately 400 km of the PCH winter range in the Yukon. The existing corridor should be removed in the remaining areas outside of the three areas noted above. In addition, the corridor in the three key areas should only be in effect from October 1 to November 30.
(3) Mandatory blaze orange
There have been longstanding issues of hunter safety along the Dempster. Therefore, the Board proposes to recommend that GY and GNWT should enforce mandatory use of blaze orange safety vests or jackets by all hunters to elevate their awareness of others in the area. The intent is to phase out the 500-metre corridor completely if and when the safety issues are addressed, through utilization of safety clothing and a comprehensive educational plan the Board is working on. The PCMB must be satisfied that the safety issues are addressed prior to making any recommendations to that effect to the Minister. The PCMB will review the safety issues on an annual basis.
The Board has also made several non-regulatory recommendations to the ministers. The Board will ask GY and GNWT to address the following:
- To initiate discussions, develop and execute educational programs incorporating traditional knowledge and cultural values in partnership with all relevant governments and user groups.
- Reduce harassment of caribou from snow machines used while hunting.
- Encourage a voluntary hunting ban of mature bulls from October 10th until November 1st each year.
The Board's preference is not to regulate, but instead to educate. It is anticipated that the comprehensive educational plan and the use of safety clothing will alleviate most safety concerns along the Dempster Highway.
Parties interested in making submissions to the Board are invited to attend the public meeting or to provide written submissions to the Board.
Phone Deana Lemke at (867) 633-4780, fax (867) 393-3904, or e-mail pcmb@taiga.net.
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