Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I would agree with the Member that we certainly need to do more research, and there are some new initiatives proposed and new money requested in order to better understand the Bathurst herd.
I think the Member makes a very good point that it is both difficult to measure the size of the herd, but our main technique, I believe, if I understand the methodology, is to do calving ground surveys. We do know that the individual herds go back to specific calving grounds. As I mentioned the other day in the House, the Bathurst herd is currently calving west of Bathurst Inlet. From there we have to make a number of assumptions. As the Member has indicated, the various herds do intermingle and we are only best able to count them at the calving grounds.
We have done a number of things in the past. I think it is important to note that we take both the science-based approach to monitoring caribou herds, the populations and
the numbers, including things like collaring, but we also think it is very important to work with communities and elders who have seen fluctuations, who have seen increases and decreases over their lives in the strength of various herds.
Traditional knowledge is very important to the department and it is these two facets that we focus on. There are challenges in terms of measures, if a herd is either in decline or the numbers are determined to be low. What I would say is that we will meet with all users of the resource and all stakeholders to understand what the most effective mitigation measures might be, before we would do anything. We are not going to race out and impose some restrictions on hunting without understanding whether or not they can, in the end, be effective.
We are working very hard. We need to continue to fund this research because it is critical to people of the Northwest Territories that we adequately manage this resource, so that it is sustainable and it is there for generations to come. A key component to that is working with all of the stakeholders. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.