Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, I rise to talk about the proposed Bathurst caribou management plan the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is considering for future development and possible implementation. The Minister of RWED did state that four years of research by this government had gone into studying the caribou migration patterns. Although this type of research is always welcomed by residents of the NWT, I feel that the lack of public input and traditional knowledge incorporated into the development of a manageable plan for caribou conservation purposes is missing from all of this. This research and these consultation processes have to be considered as an

integral component towards any successful wildlife management plan this government undertakes.

Mr. Speaker, for myself, and I am sure for many others of this House who are avid outdoorsmen or women, the traditional knowledge learned from elders is very valuable when establishing our high level of respect and protection of our wildlife and wildlife habitat when out on the land. A good example of this, Mr. Speaker, is the information I have received from one of my conversations with some of the local aboriginal elders, about why the caribou are not as fat or as healthy as they were last year. Naturally, Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons is the increase in the level of development and exploration activity in the region and another is the increase in the number of people going out to hunt and harvest animals.

With the large number of snowmobiles and vehicles travelling through the migration routes, the animals do not have time to dig for their food under the snow because of the increased number of distractions like noisy machines and vehicles and people who are camping and fishing in the area. As one elder eloquently put it, Mr. Speaker, and I quote: "I remember the days when the caribou were so fat that we had to skin them twice; once for removing the skin and then again for removing the fat."

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, although this observation is somewhat far-fetched, I hope that these good old days are not lost and that we will see some improvement, be it through government legislation or personal practices, in the way we manage our wildlife so that we can all have the same enlightening experiences as did our elders when out on the land. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause