Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to cover three areas of concern in Natilikmiot. We don't have a renewable resource officer or an economic development officer in Pelly Bay. Having a person in the area of renewable resource management is essential for the community of Pelly Bay. We have a number of programs under this department which pertain to training, policy and planning. Fur management is very important for Pelly Bay. We have a number of people who are interested in getting involved with the commercial fishery.
Conservation education is equally important. That is not to say, Madam Chair, that people don't conserve when they are harvesting. People in my area are law-abiding people. By the same token, I think it is important to have someone in the community who knows the system, the programs; knows what is available to help the people when they are hunting and harvesting for subsistence use or to supplement their income.
When I talk about supplementing the income of community people in Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak, I'm talking about those people whose only income is from social assistance. The only means of income may be supplemented from hunting, may be derived from carving. The only income that may be supplemented by hunting may be from those people who have a part-time job. Harvesting in this area is very important.
Madam Chair, the Minister may recall during the 13th Assembly, a request came from the community of Pelly Bay for the government to put a person year in their community; a renewable resource officer. We had a meeting with representation from Pelly Bay and the honourable Minister. I believe we met with the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi to talk about the possibility of putting a renewable resource officer in Pelly Bay. Often, we have a person coming in from the community of Taloyoak but this is not often enough. We don't get regular visits from the renewable resource officer.
In order to enforce the regulations, under the laws of this government, in order to ensure people do not break the law under the jurisdiction, the domain of the Minister, people should be educated. There should be a person available within the community to talk to the people in the event that this person may not know what is happening in their community. At the appropriate time, I will be asking the Minister whether or not a person year will be included for Pelly Bay to conduct the enforcement, education, at cetera.
Madam Chair, I wanted to cover another area: Almost every year for the past five years, we have had polar bears coming into the community of Pelly Bay, in town, out of hunting season. There is more than one case in Pelly Bay when a nuisance bear has been disposed of, killed and the hide has been confiscated. People are able to live with that. I have talked with a few hunters who have had their fur taken from them. They know the regulations. They know when a nuisance bear is killed within the community in order to protect the lives of the people, if it is out of season, the fur will be confiscated. One thing they are not able to understand or live with is when the meat is confiscated. As I mentioned earlier, most people hunt to supplement their income. The income which is being supplemented might be social assistance or money made from carving. Meat is very important to the people of my area, especially for the elders. It is not often that enough people get to enjoy polar bear meat, only during the hunting season. If a bear is killed during the off-season, the meat may be confiscated. If a female bear is killed which goes beyond the expected quota, the meat is confiscated. We understand the laws, we understand the polar bear hide must be confiscated. We have no problem with this. However, when the meat is confiscated there is a problem in the community.
I believe it was the former Minister who I spoke to regarding this concern. I don't recall exactly what his response was. I believe he told me it was part of the policy regulations. Can the honourable Minister indicate to this committee and the people of Pelly Bay that when a polar bear is killed out of season, or if a female is killed which exceeds the number expected to be killed, could the meat be given to a hunter in order for the community to share the meat? This is very essential, especially in the fall. Thank you, Madam Chair.