Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The committee believes that, while upholding Aboriginal and treaty rights, legislation should clearly recognize the value of wildlife to all residents of the Northwest Territories. The committee heard that the bill needed to further convey that all Northerners have a responsibility for stewardship that comes with the opportunity to access wildlife.
The committee also heard that legislated wildlife management is contradictory to the traditional Aboriginal relationship with wildlife and the land. A Tulita elder told the committee, “Unfortunately, the Dene way of self-regulation does not fit within the legal system of the non-Dene.”
The committee wants to reinforce how the new Wildlife Act upholds constitutionally enshrined treaty and Aboriginal rights and the provisions in land claim agreements, recognizing that land claim and self-government agreements function as modern treaties. At the same time, the committee believes that the legislation should be interpreted in a way that recognizes the fundamental value of wildlife to all residents, and thus proposed that the preamble be amended to include the statement: “And whereas all people of the Northwest Territories have an interest in wildlife as a natural resource and a responsibility for stewardship of wildlife and habitat.” The Minister concurred with this amendment, and the change has been made to Bill 3.
Mandatory Harvester Training
Many presenters asked that the new Wildlife Act make harvester and firearms safety training mandatory for all harvesters. The committee recognizes the need to balance the constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and treaty rights, while still ensuring that sound harvesting skills are taught to all harvesters. The committee has heard from the public how harvester training is intrinsic to traditional Aboriginal lifestyles and skills traditionally passed from elders to new hunters.
In response to public request and acknowledgement of traditional practices, the committee felt that the act should set a standard of safe hunting by requiring safety training for all harvesters, except those who are exempted by the regulations. In this way, and with the appropriate consultation, the Minister may exempt certain harvesters from the safety training requirement, and define the training methodology applicable to such harvesters. The committee believed that training should include firearms safety, practices to prevent
wastage, and harvesting skills relevant to conservation such as identifying male and female animals.
The committee agrees that firearms safety training is extremely important. It acknowledges that Bill 3 sets out provisions for safe harvesting, and applicable federal law has established provisions for safe and responsible firearms training that are beyond the scope of wildlife legislation.
The committee proposed to amend sections 22, 47 and 48 of the bill to provide that no person is entitled to obtain a hunting licence, general hunting licence or otherwise harvest under such a licence until that person has successfully completed an approved harvester training course unless exempt in harvester training according to the regulations.
During the clause-by-clause review, the Minister did not concur with the motions and explained that Bill 3 provides for harvester training to be developed under the regulations through extensive consultation. The public has identified a number of concerns related to conservation and public safety and has clearly requested a high standard of safety training for hunters in the Northwest Territories. The matter of harvester training will be discussed further when the bill is considered by the Legislative Assembly.
I will now pass on the floor to my colleague Mr. Bromley.