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TuesdayNovember1120143ENVIRONMENTWILDLIFECOLLECTWIN...1000ChamberBucksEATSHOPSTAYPLAYRIGHTHERE.inHayRiverisashoplocalprogrambyEATSHOPSTAYPLAYCOLLECTALL6MAGNETSTOENTER1WINNERANNOUNCEDATMIDNIGHTMADNESSNOV21ATTHEFIREHALLAFTERTHESANTACLAUSPARADECOMEANDENJOYHOTCHOCOLATE.Collect6magnetsandbringthemtotheGLWORKWEAR-MONSTERRECREATIONALPRODUCTS-SHETAKESTHECAKECAF-RINGSIDAPHARMACY-DIGGERZPOWERSPORTS-HAYRIVERHOMEHARDWARE-DRIFTWOODDINER-POWERSURGETECHNOLOGIES-THEBACKEDDY-QUICKPRINT-SUPERAFOODS-KABLOOMZFLOWERSGIFTS-SUPERIORSOUND-HAYRIVERDENTALCLINIC-NORTHMARTFOODSRETAILERS-WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD-RENEWHAIRSPA-CIBC-STYLESBOUTIQUE-KINGLANDFORD-LADEEDAHBOUTIQUE-THEPTARMIGANINNTheKEYSandPOISONPAINTING.RULESMustbe18yearsoroldertoenterMustcorrectlyansweraskilltestingquestionatthetimeofentry.MustnotbeaparticipatingbusinessowneroranExecutiveMemberoftheHayRiverChamberofCommerce.ZeroharvestexpectedforBathurstcaribouTagsystemwith1200quotaanticipatedforBluenose-EastherdByMEAGANWOHLBERGItsatoughdecisionthatnoonewantstomakebutthosesittingaroundthecariboumanagementtableintheNorthwestTerritoriesanticipateatotalbanontheharvestofBathurstcariboutocomedownbeforeChristmas.AboriginalleadersmetlastFridaywiththedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRforthethirdtimesincethenumbersemergedshowingadrasticdeclineinthepopulationoftheBathurstandBlue-nose-Eastbarren-groundherds.Afterrunningoutoftimetomakeanyrealdecisionsyetanothermeetingisbeingsched-uledfortheendofthemonth.ENRMinisterMichaelMiltenbergerwasreluctanttogivedetailsonwhatwillbehisnalrecommen-dationbutEarlEvansoftheNWTMtisNa-tionsaideveryoneshouldexpectzeroharvestontheBathurstatleastforoneortwoyears.Damnrightsyoushouldexpectit.WhatelsecantheydoWecantaffordanotherhunthesaidoftheforthcomingrecommendation.Itsnotaverygoodsituationrightnowtobehuntingwiththenumbersthewaytheyare.Theyarereallyreallylow.TheBathurstherdisinrealtrouble.ENRofcialswerealarmedtoseetheBathurstpopulationdropto15000animalsfromthe460000thatexistedinthemid-1980s.SimilarlytheBluenose-Easthavedroppedtoaround30000animals.Miltenbergersaidthesituationinhismindamountstoaclearemergencythatrequiresimmediateaction.Itsaverytoughemotionalpoliticalissuebutattheendofthedayourfundamentalobligationistoprotecttheherdshesaid.Theresnoavoidingthatforanygovernment.ApartfromabanontheBathurstEvanssaidtheotherrecommendationbeingputforwardisatagsystemfortheBluenose-East.Thoughvol-untaryrestrictionslimittheharvestto2800thehuntingoftwicetothreetimesasmanyanimalssincerestrictionswereimposedontheBathursthasshowntheministerthatvoluntarydoesntwork.Evanssaidthedepartmentisnowcon-sideringimposingaquotaof1200animals.Alongwithharvestingrestrictionsthedepartmentisalsodiscussingpredatorcon-trolorwolfcullingalongwithcumulativeimpactsindustrialdevelopmentandeduca-tiononcaribouprotection.ThoughpreviousdiscussionsresultedinareluctantbutgeneralconsensusonthepartofAboriginalgovernmentsinfavourofazeroharvestfortheBathurstlastmonthEvanssaidpoliticalpressurefromthecommunitiespushedtheconversationtheotherwaylastweekwithrepresentativesfromtheTlichoGovernmentopeningthemeetingbycontestingENRsnum-bersanddefendingtheirtreatyrights.ItwasarealturnaroundwhichissadtosayEvanssaid.Ithoughtwehadaccom-plishedsomething.EvanssaidtheMtishavevoluntarilystoppedharvestingthoseherdsforthepastveyearsandsaiditistimeotherAboriginalgovernmentstostartmakingsacricestoo.RepresentativesfromtheTlichoGovern-mentdidnotrespondtorequestsforcomment.TheconversationhasalsobeencomplicatedbynewsfromNunavutsdeputyministerthat70tagsfortheBathurstarelegallysoldtooutttersacrossthebordereachyearmeaninghuntersfromthesouthareabletotakefromtheherdwhilesubsistenceAboriginalharvestersmaynot.IfitwassubsistencepeoplewouldbemuchmoreunderstandingbutwhenitsforprotthatsproblematicsaidMiltenbergerwhoindicatedmorediscussionswouldneedtobehadwiththeNunavutgovernment.Wesharemanyoftheseherdsandtheircalv-inggroundsMiltenbergersaidsowevegottogetsomethingmoredenitivefromthem.InthefutureMiltenbergerhopestohavemanagementplansinplaceforboththeBathurstandBluenoseherdswithoutlinedthresholdsandtriggersthatpreventapo-liticaluproarfromtakingplaceeachtimenewpopulationcountsarereleased.Hesaidallgovernmentsatthetablerecog-nizetheresnousehavingaharvestingrightiftheresnothinglefttoharvestbutsaiditremainstobeseenwhattheFirstNationshavetosayonthematter.MtisrepresentativescurrentlysupporttheENRrecommendations.Miltenbergersaidheiscondenttherightdecisionwillbemadetoensurethesurvivaloftheherds.YouknowhowIknowthatBecauseIamtheonewiththenalsayhesaid.LowherdnumberslikelymeananoutrightbanonBathurstcaribouharvestthisyear.PhotoAlexHall122waterfowldieafterlandingonoilsandstailingspondsByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorisinvesti-gatingafter122waterfowlwereconrmeddeadafterlandingonthreeseparateoilsandstailingspondsinnorthernAlbertalastweekwithin24hours.Weathermayhavecontributedtothedeathsofthebirdswholandedontail-ingspondsatCanadianNaturalRe-sourcesLtd.sHorizonsiteSyncrudesMildredLakesiteandSuncorEnergystailingspond.TheAERisassessingtheoperatorswa-terfowlmitigationsystemsandwhetherthedeterrentsystemswereoperatingcorrectlytheregulatorreleasedinastatementlastWednesday.Oilsandscompaniesarelegallyobligatedtopreventbirdsfromlandingontheirtail-ingspondswhichcontaintoxicbitumenminingbyproductsincludingneurotoxinsandheavymetals.Theimpactsoftailingsonwaterfowlbecameaseriousconcernafter1600ducksdiedonSyncrudestailingspondduringastormin2008forwhichthecompanywasrequiredtopayaneof3million.Justdaysafterthecompanypaidthepen-altyin2010another550birdsdiedonSyn-crudeandSuncortailingspondsagainafterencounteringpoorweatherduringmigration.Allthreecompaniessaytheirwaterfowldeterrencesystemswhichincludesoundcannonswereoperatingatthetime.AscarecrowwarnsbirdsawayfromatailingspondnorthofFortMcMurray.PhotoNationalWildlifeFederationENVIRONMENTWILDLIFE