Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The pigs that the Member is talking about are domestic animals. They are raised domestically. The abattoir in Hay River was built in part to look at the viability of raising pigs and slaughtering them there for sale to people in the north. That has not worked out very well, and I think that was set up a little before my time. We are now trying to suggest and work with the Member for Hay River on seeing if some entrepreneurial would come forward with a hands-on proposal on how they can make economic use of this abattoir. The muskox are wild animals. They live a couple of thousand miles north of here. They are not immediately accessible, but they are animals that live in herds. They are a little more manageable in the sense they can be harvested in a way that can still comply with the rules of federal inspectors. The question of whether this department would throw money to curb the population of muskox, if the Inuvialuit game council and the Nunavut Wildlife Management board had such suggestions, as a board they have some authority in this area and would be prepared to look at what is the best management plan for these animals. If it was an acceptable proposition and supported by the respective wildlife boards, then as a Minister, I would have to look at it. Thank you.
Stephen Kakfwi on Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on October 23rd, 1997. See this statement in context.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
October 23rd, 1997
Page 123
See context to find out what was said next.