I will check it out today to see what we are doing up there. If we are not present at the site, which I believe we are not, we will do it as soon as possible.

Thank you. We are under general comments, Renewable Resources. Activity by activity, line by line. Directorate, we are on page 12-10 of the 1992-93 main estimates, directorate, total O & M of $1.859 million.

Agreed.

Thank you. Next page, wildlife management, total O & M of $3.545 million. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you. With regard to this item, the special program was already eliminated, and I guess there was supposed to be a special support program for hunters and trappers developed. Are there any programs right now to assist the trappers?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is under contributions.

Thank you. We shall get to that later. Mr. Gargan, you will be posing a question under the program? Thank you. Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the Minister remembers last year, last spring, in a place near my constituency there was a study done on polar bears, about the immobilizing drugs that are used on polar bears, and how long it stays in the bodies of the polar bear. The people that did the study have not given us any information yet. When are we going to be able to get some information from those biologists that did the study, as to how long that drug stays in the body of the polar bear? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This winter we will be giving you the information about the immobilizing drugs.

(Translation) Thank you. Mr. Pudluk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. From what I have seen, and what I have heard, there were just two polar bears per day, and they wanted to do a study as to how long it takes for the drug to stay in the body of the polar bear. Say, for instance, a two or three day study on one polar bear that was immobilized. Can the Minister tell us whether that study was done the way they said that they were going to do it? Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you. Mr. Minister.

(Translation) The biologists did not just study the two polar bears. I think they studied about five polar bears.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Pudluk.

Mr. Chairman, I do not agree with the Minister about him saying that there were five polar bears that were studied. I was up there and I was present at that study, and there was less than five that were studied. I have heard that they did studies, using helicopters, although I told them not to use helicopters, I told them to use dog teams. I told them, this way, the money could stay in the community, if they used dog teams and the local people. Because they used helicopters, it cost a lot more. In a day, it was about $10,000 for the helicopter usage. When they ran out of money, they could not complete the study of the polar bears that were immobilized, and what the effects to the bears were.

I would like to ask the Minister, whether they have completed their study and if you say that they have completed it, I will not agree with you.

Thank you, Mr. Pudluk, Mr. Minister.

They wanted to get at least six polar bears and the study that they have, they did, will produce this year. As to the question that he had about whether they completed, or what kinds of study that they did, or whether they have completed their study, I will be able to answer the Member after I get information. I would like to thank the Member for saying that he would prefer that they use the dog team rather than the helicopter. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Minister. Is that it. (Translation ends)

Page 11, wildlife management, total O & M of $3.545 million. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Conservation, education, and resource development, total O & M of $4.782 million. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you. Policy and planning, total O & M, $925,000. Agreed?