Board recommends regulation changes to Government of Yukon
April 2006
The Porcupine Caribou Management Board recently engaged in a public consultation to review proposed regulatory and non-regulatory recommendations to Government of Yukon's Minister of Environment.
The Board has completed this consultation and forwarded its recommendations to the Minister.
The Board received a significant number of responses and is grateful to all participants for their interest and involvement in the proposed regulation changes.
The recommendations are based on extensive input from many parties, and the information was invaluable in the Board's decision-making process.
All the input compiled was not only used to inform the Board in its decision making in this instance, but it will be used to guide the Board in future management decisions as well.
With broad participation, the Board is confident that its decision making utilized the best information possible.
The Yukon's Minister of Environment will engage in his own First Nation government-to-government consultation where necessary before a final decision is made by the Minister.
Overview of recommendations
The PCMB's first recommendation is that the Government of Yukon should enforce mandatory use of blaze orange safety vests or jackets by all hunters year-round in all Dempster Highway subzones within the Yukon.
The same recommendation was made to the Government of Northwest Territories.
This recommendation addresses safety concerns related to hunting along the Dempster Highway by elevating hunter awareness of others in the area.
Mandatory use of blaze orange clothing is one part of the PCMB'S safety campaign.
This recommendation received mostly positive feedback from the public, but there were some comments that this regulation should be phased in over time.
After giving those comments due consideration, the PCMB believes it is appropriate to implement this recommendation without delay.
The PCMB, the Government of Yukon and the Government of the Northwest Territories have encouraged use of blaze orange safety clothing for several years now.
In cooperation with the PCMB, territorial government staff have distributed orange toques and caps, and loaned out orange vests, for several years.
Reports indicate that this initiative was well received and successful.
If this recommendation is passed into regulation, hunters will be expected to provide their own safety clothing.
The PCMB also suggested that non-consumptive users should be encouraged to wear blaze orange for their own protection while in the Dempster corridor.
The PCMB's second recommendation was that the Government of Yukon and the Government of the Northwest Territories work with a sub-committee of the PCMB, in partnership with all relevant governments and user groups, to develop and implement educational programs incorporating traditional knowledge and cultural values.
This recommendation is intended to improve hunter safety and reduce caribou harassment, meat wastage and wounding loss.
By developing these programs for delivery to all interested groups in the herd's range in Canada, we will work to ensure all hunters receive a consistent message and clearly understand their responsibilities.
These educational programs will also encourage a voluntary hunting ban of mature bulls from October 10 until November 1 each year.
It is not the Board's intention to have outfitters stop hunting mature bulls during this period.
The proposal regarding a voluntary hunting ban on mature bulls received much support from the First Nations, Renewable Resource Councils and the general public.
A PCMB sub-committee has already begun preparing a draft Porcupine Caribou hunter education manual that is designed to be used either as a stand-alone tool or as an optional supplement to existing programs such as the Government of Yukon's HEED and First Nation education programs.
The PCMB hunter education program will be designed to be adapted for use with the adult population as well as with the youth.
There will be sections specific to licensed resident hunters, First Nation hunters in their settlement areas and First Nation hunters going outside their traditional settlement areas.
This program will explain regulations and best practices and traditional teachings in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
The PCMB notes that some user communities have well-developed education programs for hunter training, such as the First Hunt Program that Tr'ondek Hwech'in provides.
Proposed recommendations not forwarded to the Minister
Based on feedback received during our consultation, the PCMB did not forward two recommendations that were discussed in the consultation process.
While these issues continue to be important, the PCMB intends to address them in an alternative manner.
First, the PCMB proposed to recommend that the territorial governments limit the hunting season of the Porcupine Caribou herd by resident hunters in the Northwest Territories and resident and non resident hunters in the Yukon to a three-month period when the herd is within the Dempster Highway subzones.
This proposal, although considered favourable by most First Nations and RRCs, was largely criticized by resident hunters.
In view of the criticism received, and because this might not be an effective conservation measure, the PCMB rescinded this recommendation.
In addition, the PCMB is developing a Harvest Management Strategy with First Nation user groups, resident hunters and other stakeholders. The PCMB will be in a better position to consider the hunting season through this strategy.
Second, the PCMB proposed to recommend that the government reduce the 500-metre no caribou hunting corridor (on either side of the Dempster Highway) to three key areas of concentrated hunting activity.
After consultation, the PCMB discovered this recommendation was not well supported by resident hunters or First Nations. On the contrary, there was strong support to keep the existing no-hunting corridor intact.
Again, the PCMB decided to address the Dempster Highway safety issues through the education programs and the mandatory use of blaze orange clothing by hunters.
Thus, in balancing the concerns for safety along with concerns for the restriction of aboriginal rights, the PCMB determined it is best to leave the corridor intact for now.
When education efforts prove sufficiently successful, the PCMB will reconsider whether or not the corridor should be removed entirely.
Recommendations renewed
The PCMB also renewed recommendations previously made to the Minister.
The PCMB made a recommendation to the then Minister of Environment in June of 2003, and then again in May of 2004, regarding a regulation to split the one-week hunting closure each fall to let the caribou leaders pass.
In some years, as dictated by migration patterns, hunting should not be closed for the entire length of the highway.
Instead, the highway should be divided into north and south sections and those sections should each be closed to hunting for one week when the caribou arrive.
The Minister accepted this recommendation but advised the PCMB that he would wait to consult with the First Nations until the PCMB put forward the present recommendations.
To ensure continuity, the PCMB requested the current Minister of Environment to follow up on this recommendation.
The PCMB worked hard and long to ensure it consulted as broadly as possible and to ensure its recommendations balanced the needs of all interested groups.
Again, the PCMB is grateful for the feedback it received and will continue to use all the information it received during the consultation to guide its management decisions.
Ongoing feedback to the PCMB is always welcome, as that information guides what regulations will next be reviewed in the years to come.
For more information, please contact Deana Lemke at (867) 633-4780, fax (867) 393-3904 or e-mail pcmb@taiga.net.
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