Hope and hurdles for the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq herds

After 30 years of decline, there is hopeful news for the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou herds in Canada. As TINA GIROUX-ROBILLARD writes, the Beverly herd is finally showing a significant increase, and the Qamanirjuaq herd’s decline has slowed.

Whether you know them as etthén, tuktu, atihk or caribou, the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq barren-ground herds are central to life in northern Canada. Their annual migrations stretch across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan through the traditional territories of Cree, Dene, Inuit and Métis peoples. 
 
Caribou have long been a vital source of food, culture and community life in the north. Many residents identify themselves as “caribou people”: they are fundamentally defined by caribou, with cultural practices that are inextricable from the animals that have provided food, clothing, teachings and life since time immemorial.  

This history is why the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) exists: to unite representatives across the range in safeguarding caribou as pressures from climate change and human activity mount. 

Hopeful news for these herds

At the BQCMB’s meeting in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut this spring, Government of Nunavut biologists presented encouraging results from their 2023 aerial survey of Beverly caribou. The herd is now estimated at 152,000 animals—up from 103,400 in 2018—with nearly 70,000 breeding females. Strong calf recruitment is likely behind this eight per cent annual increase as more young caribou survive to join the breeding population—a key factor for long-term recovery.  

Earlier surveys had charted a drop to 103,400 caribou in 2018 from 276,000 in 1994, which makes the recent increase especially noteworthy. Although it is hard to pinpoint exactly what is behind the increase, reasons may include natural population fluctuations (as understood through Indigenous knowledge), favourable forage, or beneficial changes in harvest and predation patterns.  

The Qamanirjuaq herd’s latest survey tells a more cautious story. This herd is still declining, although this decline has slowed to two per cent a year, down from five per cent. Cow-to-calf ratios also suggest a continued slowing of the decline, though more assessments are needed to determine the herd’s status.  

Challenges ahead

Because caribou rely on large, undisturbed landscapes, they are particularly vulnerable to human activity. Arctic development in the form of mines, roads and powerlines has fragmented their habitat, increased human access to caribou, and created migratory barriers. Illegal harvesting and wastage (when animals are killed but not fully used) remain a concern in many range communities, including along winter roads like the one from Tibbitt to Contwoyto in the Northwest Territories.  

Climate change compounds these pressures, altering habitat by thinning ice crossings, changing vegetation, and increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires. Indirect climate effects on caribou are also rising, including threats from new diseases and parasites.  

In the face of these pressures, solutions rooted in both Indigenous knowledge and science are guiding the way forward.  

Shared knowledge and responsibility

The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Plan, titled Caribou is Life, is the board’s roadmap for minimizing pressures and sustaining the herds for generations. The plan synthesizes two ways of knowing: Traditional Knowledge shared by Indigenous communities, and scientific insights from surveys, research and monitoring. By combining these systems, the plan helps communities and governments work collaboratively to watch over the herds, respect the land, and pass traditions on to the next generation.

Across the range, community- and land-based programmes are strongholds of caribou stewardship. Guardians’ programmes, monitoring projects, and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) combine culture and conservation.

In northern Manitoba, the Seal River Watershed is well on its way to becoming an IPCA through the efforts of four Dene and Cree Nations. In northern Saskatchewan, the Athabasca Denesųłiné are protecting caribou wintering habitat through the Etthén Néné Stewardship Areas. In the Northwest Territories, Thaıdene Nëné (led by Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation) and the neighbouring Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary safeguard one of the largest protected land areas in North America.

Alongside teaching youth respectful harvesting methods, these initiatives conserve wildlife, ecosystems and cultural connections between caribou, communities and the land. This spirit of collaboration builds on decades of work across regions and cultures.

Carrying the work forward

For many across the north, caribou are more than wildlife—they are a way of life passed down over generations. As roads and industrial corridors reshape habitat in a changing climate, the work of the BQCMB is pressing.  

As we approach our 100th meeting in 2026, our board is investing in youth leadership, Indigenous-led conservation and IPCAs, and expanding the education it offers on respectful harvest. 

But stewardship cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the board. It is the shared responsibility of governments, industry, communities, harvesters and individuals alike to ensure the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq herds remain strong for generations to come.