Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks the public has paid an unusual amount of attention to one of our northern species of wildlife and the way it is harvested. A newspaper article in February prompted numerous letters and E-mails about wolves and the way they were being harvested near Rennie Lake, about 200 kilometres east of Great Slave Lake. The Beverly caribou herd spends part of the winter in the Rennie Lake area. This year, animals from the Bathurst herd moved further south than usual, meeting up with the beverly herd. As wolves follow the caribou, this resulted in more wolves than normal in the area.
In addition, Mr. Speaker, plans are being made for a series of regional workshops involving harvesters, researchers and managers. Their expertise and advice will help focus and expand the awareness of wolf management issues and concerns. We will use the results of the workshop in our consultations with co-management boards and aboriginal groups.
Wolf harvesting typically occurs in very remote areas that are not regularly visited by renewable resource officers. This summer, fuel will be cached east of Great Slave Lake to allow our officers to conduct more patrols in the area next winter. Mr.
Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is recognized as a leader in effective, responsible management of wildlife. We are committed to ensuring long-term, sustainable use of wildlife by northerners. We are also committed to ensuring that wolves, like all our wildlife resources, remain an essential part of our cultural and economic well-being. Thank you.
--Applause