Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement today is about the interim measures that this government is considering to deal with the declining caribou herd numbers. Mr. Speaker, the issue of caribou harvesting policies or limitations, and who these policies and limitations should be applied to and at what levels, have always been a contentious issue with this government and with northerners.
The public reaction to government policy in an area as sensitive as harvesting rights and limits are always met with either a lot of uptake or with just as much opposition. Mr. Speaker, finding middle ground is not always
achievable, especially when we are talking about a wildlife resource which is regarded as a basic sustenance for many, cost-savings for some and a sport for others.
Mr. Speaker, this is why I want to stress the importance of finding a solution or a direction which will get us closest to this middle ground as possible. I do agree that we have to address the declining numbers of caribou issue before it becomes irreversible, but I do not agree with the process that has been taken to develop these so-called interim measures. We are all aware of the difficulty to get this government to change or revisit policies once they've been established or implemented; one main reason being that the government always says that they need to give it some time and see what happens, good or bad, and then make some changes after results are tabulated. Well, Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, I do not want to find out that these interim measures did not meet the government's or the public's expectation. Much to the dismay of many residents who did not have any input, they will be saying I told you so.
I want the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to do a thorough evaluation of what this policy should include or exclude, and very seriously consider traditional knowledge as an integral component to finding an agreeable and workable caribou management plan...