Protecting barren-ground caribou in Canada

Conserving barren-ground caribou populations for the benefit of the northern communities that have relied on them for millennia is not the work of a single organization. It will take the coordinated efforts of many organizations working toward a shared goal to ensure there are caribou not only for today, but for the future.

In the past, many of the Indigenous People of northern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut depended on the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou for food, clothing and shelter. Their days and lives revolved around the caribou because they followed these migratory animals during hunting seasons. When the animals were scarce, starvation—sometimes even death—could ensue.

Modern lifestyles have reduced these regions’ dependence on caribou, but not the significance of the animal to Indigenous Peoples’ cultures and lifestyles. Because of the high cost of transporting food and other goods into northern Canada, caribou meat continues to be an important food source. As well, encouraging youth to hunt responsibly ties them to the traditions of their past, strengthening and enriching life in Indigenous communities.

A brief history of caribou threats—and management

In the late 1970s, declining population estimates created fear that the caribou herds were becoming endangered. There were also concerns that encroaching industrial development and the large numbers of people moving north could harm the caribou’s environments. Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments and scientists turned to caribou hunters to work together as a team to “co‐manage” the herds. The recognition that western and Indigenous knowledge are equally essential gave rise to the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) in 1982.

The BQCMB was the first co-management board of its kind in North America, and since those first tentative days, trust has been built and mutual respect created. The common goal—to slow the decline of the herds—has never changed.

Nonetheless, the decline continues. And the BQCMB, now in its 40th year, is working with the Government of Canada and the territorial and provincial governments of Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Saskatchewan to develop its fifth 10-year management agreement to secure operational funding to continue its work through 2032. At the same time, we are consulting with the Inuit, Métis and Dene people, who rely on these animals, to gather information and develop a plan for managing the herds over the next decade.

It is a daunting task, given that the BQCMB’s basic administrative functions (holding two board meetings a year, conducting research, producing a bi-annual newsletter, and submitting an annual report) easily use up the core funding that the organization receives each year.

Thankfully, there are a number of agencies and organizations—including WWF-Canada—that support our goals and objectives beyond these core functions. It is this “extra” support that enables BQCMB members to travel to northern communities and hear directly from individuals who are eager to preserve a traditional way of life that includes caribou. Indigenous knowledge is needed to understand the herds’ behaviour, is key to developing an effective management plan, and must be gathered more often than just twice a year, when the board meets.

Contributions from a variety of sources, both public and private, are critical to the board’s existence and work. Thanks to our funding partners, over the years the BQCMB has developed targeted educational campaigns around respectful hunting and submitted written comments on issues like habitat protection, land use planning, harvesting, and mineral exploration and development projects. It has participated in public hearings and environmental reviews, developed harvest reporting programmes, hosted workshops and held poster contests for caribou range schools.

And while it must be noted that the BQCMB is completely independent of its funding partners and relies solely on good science and community knowledge for its conclusions, it is also true that without their support and cooperation, the board’s effectiveness would be severely diminished—with potentially dire consequences.

Working to beat the odds

We know the caribou face many threats to their existence. Improper hunting practices, exploration and development, and roads are the most pressing concerns. Others are increased harvesting, wildfires, pollution, weather, disease, parasites, predators and climate change.

Because of these factors—many of which are related and connected to climate change—barren-ground caribou herds are declining all over the North, and recent information points to continued declines in both the Qamanirjuaq and Beverly herds. Without proper management, these herds could decline to the point of no return. This has already happened to the Bathurst herd, which dropped from 470,000 in the mid-80s to about 6,100 today.

A similar plunge among the Qamanirjuaq and Beverly herds would cause incredible hardship for the Indigenous People and communities that have relied on these animals since time immemorial.

And so, our work continues. With help from our valued supporters, we will continue gathering knowledge, monitoring the herds and moving toward our goal: to ensure the long-term conservation of these caribou herds for future generations of northern Canadians.