Assembly Vote
19th Assembly, 2nd SessionMarch 8, 2022
Motion Sponsor
Topic
Motion Text
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide its report on the Statutory Reviews of the Species at Risk (NWT) Act and Wildlife Act and commends it to the House.
Executive Summary
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Committee is mandated to review the Wildlife Act and Species at Risk (NWT) Act pursuant to Section 171 and Section 147 of the Act respectively.
Due to the change in Assemblies, there was a delay commencing the statutory review process and a further delay as a result of COVID-19.
Committee began the statutory review in August of 2020 and established the following key priorities in which to guide the committee's approach:
- the role of Indigenous governments from areas with ongoing negotiations in relation to lands, resources, or self-government agreements with respect to wildlife management;
- emerging role of guardianship and related programs; and
- community-based wildlife management.
Between September 2020 to October 2021, committee held several rounds of public engagement seeking feedback from Indigenous governments, renewable resource boards, hunters and trappers associations, non-government wildlife stakeholders and the public. The committee received seven written submissions and three public presentations as well as briefings from the Minister and officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The committee heard a broad range of concerns including, but not limited to:
- the role of Indigenous governments (without agreements) in wildlife management;
- application of the legislation with regard to infractions, enforcement and identification;
- Indigenous guardians;
- harvester education and training;
- community conservation plans;
- wildlife habitat;
- food security;
- alternative measures under the Wildlife Act.
The following report provides a summary of what committee heard from stakeholders and submits recommendations to the GNWT to improve the Species at Risk (NWT) Act and the Wildlife Act.
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment has provided 14 recommendations to the GNWT:
Recommendation 1
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories advance discussions under section 12 of the Wildlife Act with Indigenous governments who are not represented by renewable resources boards or without a final lands, resources, and self-government agreement.
Recommendation 2
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommend the Department of Environment and Natural Resources strengthen the application of Section 14 and 21 under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act to ensure that Indigenous governments without a final agreement have a say in management of species at risk.
Recommendation 3
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories establish an expedited legal process for Indigenous hunters to regain access to hunting equipment when there is a risk of losing the hunting season without it.
Recommendation 4
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories increase funding support for the Community Harvester Assistance Program and related programs that develop hunting, trapping and harvesting skills.
Recommendation 5
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories make further hunter education a requirement of the kindergarten to grade 12 NWT education curriculum.
Recommendation 6
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories expand section 98 of the Wildlife Act to require consideration of community conservation plans when determining allocation of harvests for wildlife and that written reasons be required for all decisions on harvest allocations.
Recommendation 7
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories work with Indigenous governments and renewable resource boards to identify appropriate culturally-grounded processes for enforcement using alternative measures, which include restorative justice models.
Recommendation 8
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories establish a role for Indigenous guardians in legislation.
Recommendation 9
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories create a funding program to establish and maintain Indigenous guardian programs in communities, and that multiyear funding be available to employ people in small communities.
Recommendation 10
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories remove any regulatory barriers that prevent communities from sharing wild meat to improve food security.
Recommendation 11
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories expand Part 6, Conservation and Management Measures of the Wildlife Act, to include provisions for nomination of conservation areas by Indigenous governments and others, consistent to the Protected Areas Act.
Recommendation 12
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories make the results of discussions at meetings under Section 15 of the Wildlife Act publicly available.
Recommendation 13
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Minister extend the statutory review period under section 171 of the Wildlife Act to match the review period established under section 147 of the Species at Risk (NWT) Act, and that both of these statutory review periods be required every other Assembly.
And in closing,
Recommendation 14
The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to the recommendations contained in this report within 120 days.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Committee Report 24-19(2): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment - Report on the Statutory Reviews of the Species at Risk (NWT) Act and Wildlife Act be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.