Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister and the deputy minister. I want to emphasize that I am not asking on behalf of the outfitters for tags for the Bathurst caribou. That’s not what they’re asking. They’re asking for tags for the Bluenose-East, and I was pleased to hear the deputy minister mention Point Lake because that is one area, one outfitter who specifically believes that the Bluenose-East are near their camp and would like some tags for the Bluenose-East herd.
So it seems to me that we’ve got perhaps not a lack of communication per se, but a lack of full understanding of where each party stands, perhaps.
I guess my next question to the Minister would be whether or not he and the department would initiate a discussion with the outfitters, certainly the outfitters towards the northern end of the range, I guess. My real concern is that if we don’t get tags to the outfitters within this next 12 months, so to speak, that they’re going to fold. They cannot keep operating with no business and they have tried to diversify, but even the diversification has been a real struggle and they’re basically losing money every year.
The outfitting business was bringing millions and millions of dollars into Yellowknife and the NWT and we have lost that revenue. I think there’s still an opportunity to get it back. I think there’s still some interest in caribou hunts from the people that take advantage of it. Apparently they’re still getting requests from clients. Are there caribou tags? We want to come and do hunts. That interest is only going to last for a short period of time. Odds are pretty good that if there are no tags next winter and the winter after that, the inquiries are going to stop coming and then these guys are truly out of luck.
Will the department look at meeting with the outfitters that some of us Members have been talking to and seriously considering their request for a limited number of tags for the Bluenose-East herd in fall-winter 2013-2014?