Thank you. Mr. Kakfwi.

I would like to remind the Members, especially the ordinary Members, that the supplementary question's preamble should be shorter than the original question. Thank you. Item 6, Oral Questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Minister responsible for Renewable Resources. When a decision was made to restrict hunting on the Ingraham Trail for 1.5 kilometres, was that an Executive decision or was that a departmental decision?

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a regulation that was put into effect in 1988 by the department.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

I understand that the regulation is now five years old, and it came about on November 1. Before November 1 there was also wide coverage with regard to that restriction about one week before it came into effect. After it came into effect, how many people were actually charged with offending that regulation?

Thank you. Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware that eight written warnings were issued on November 1, the first day the hunting corridor came into effect. I do not know how many more have been issued since then. During that time, an additional three tickets were issued. They were for hunting without a hunting licence, shooting from the travel portion of the road and meat wastage. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday when I was returning from Fort Providence there was a large amount of caribou migrating towards Providence. Is Mr. Allooloo's department aware of it and are you planning on imposing restrictions in that area? I understand that this is the first time that the caribou have changed their migration route. Is the Minister monitoring the movement of those caribou because the migration route has changed?

Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, I believe there was two questions there. In regard to the first one, I am communicating with the chief of Fort Rae to see what we can do in this particular area, and whether we should impose some sort of restriction on the highway. If the caribou are moving down toward Fort Providence then I will be talking to the chief of Providence. To the second question, the department is monitoring the caribou herd which is moving so far to the west. It is now between Yellowknife and Boundary Creek I am told. I, myself, flew out one week ago and saw the caribou herd that was moving back up north and they seem to have moved from Ross Lake towards Great Slave Lake. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.

Mr. Speaker, just getting back to my question with regard to the issue of charges, during the time that C.B.C. was making those announcements regarding the restriction of hunting in that area they also warned the public that charges would be laid if people were hunting near the roads. Why were there eight warning tickets issued as opposed to charges being laid?

Thank you. That was your last supplementary. Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, since the regulation was established in 1988, it has been sufficient to give warnings to the hunters when the hunting corridor comes in effect, usually on November 1. It seems that when the hunters are warned they do not break the law. We have been working successfully with the hunters, so that they will observe the regulations and the law that governs hunting. It is not to our advantage to charge everybody that we see. We leave that decision to the discretion of the officer who, at the time, sees the event that is taking place. Myself, the deputy minister and A.D.M. do not give directions to the officers to charge or not charge. That is up to the officers. Thank you.

Item 6, Oral Questions. Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Allooloo.

Mr. Speaker, at the time of the incident, not only to my colleague but all the hunters, I was at home in my constituency. I was called by my executive assistant regarding the hunting of the caribou around Ingraham Trail. I was not told who they were. I was just told that warnings were given to the hunters and tickets issued. Thank you.

Mr. Lewis.

Is the Minister aware that, on that day, there were some people who were charged and that other people were not charged? Is he aware of that fact?