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NewhuntingregulationsnowineffectforNWT6TuesdayDecember22014ENVIRONMENTWILDLIFELand-usersconcernedforLittleBuffalofishstocksMtiswantcatchandreleasesystemfornon-AboriginalfishersENVIRONMENTWILDLIFEByMEAGANWOHLBERGTherstsetofnewregulationsbehindtheNWTWildlifeActcameintoforcelastFri-dayestablishingnewrulesonmeatwastagegiftingpossessionandammunitionstan-dardsforAboriginalandresidentharvest-ersthroughouttheterritory.AftermonthsofconsultationofcialswithEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRnalizedtherstphaseofregulationsandarenowfocusingongettingthatinformationouttothosewhoneedit.Thefocusnowisgoingtobeoneducationforthenextlittlebit.Weneedtogetourof-cersinformedaboutthenewactweneedtogetthepublicinformedandthehuntersinformedaboutwhatthenewactisallaboutandthenewregulationsandallthewhileweredoingthatweregoingtobeinitiatingsomeworkonphase2saidRobGauman-agerofbiodiversityconservationforENR.WhilethenewregulationsarecurrentlybeingconsolidatedbythedepartmentofJusticebeforebeingmadepublicGausaidtherehaveonlybeenafewchangessincetheproposedregulationswerebroughtouttocommunitiesforfeedback.Oneofthemainchangesreectingpublicconcernhastodowithmeatwastage.Thenewregulationsestablishminimumrequirementsforwhatpartsofharvestedanimalsneedtobeusedandthepreviousproposalwasnotcon-sideredstringentenoughbymanyconsulted.Gausaidthenalruletakesthoseconcernsintoconsiderationandaddsribstothelistofbackstrapshindquartersabovethekneefrontquartersabovethekneetenderloinsandneckmeatthathuntersmustuseforbiggame.In-formationprovidedduringforthcominghar-vestertrainingsessionswillencourageusingallpartsofanimalsheaddedlikethebrisketandorgans.Inoureducationalmaterialswhenwedosaywhatminimumstandardsarewewillsaybesuretoincludethebrisketwiththeribsbutitsnotspecicallymentionedintheregu-lationshesaid.Theregulationsalsonowtakeintoconsider-ationtheintentofharvesterstakingfurbearinganimals.ThoughapeltorhideistheminimumwastagerequirementfortrapperslookingtosellfursENRacknowledgesthatbearsbeaversandmuskratsarealsohuntedformeatduringseasonswhentheirfursareinpoorcondition.TheyhavetousetheanimalfortheintentitwasharvestedGausaid.Ifyoureharvestingabearformeatyouwillbeencouragedtousethehidebutyouwontnecessarilyneedto.Andifyoureharvestingabearbeaverormuskratforitshidethenyoucanletthemeatgotowaste.Whenitcomestothegiftingofmeatthenewrulesstipulatethatreceiptsmustbegivenwithanypackageover5kg.Whilethatreceiptmuststillincludetheharvestersnamesigna-turedateandspeciesinformationGausaidtheregulationhasbeenmodiedsothattheharvesterhastheexibilityofincludinghisorherAboriginalgovernmentorhuntertrapperorganizationratherthanatreatyorIDnumber.WeheardthatpeoplefeltlikeprovidingspecicinformationlikeatreatynumberonareceiptwastoopersonalsowemodiedtherequirementGausaid.ThoughthediscussionaroundaminimumcalibrerequirementforammunitionusedtohuntbisonwasallovertheplaceGausaidthedepartmentoptedtostickwithitsorigi-nallyproposedminimumrequirementofa.30calibrebullet.Forwolvesandwolverinestheminimumcalibreofammunitionrequiredis.2222800joulesofenergyattherearmmuzzleforpolarbearsand.243calibreforallothertypesofbiggame-anincreaseincalibremeanttoreducewoundingloss.Gausaidthedepartmentwillbemovingforwardondevelopingitssecondphaseofregulationsinthecomingweekswhichwillincludepossiblenewzonesandseasonsforanimalslikecoyoteselkanddeeroutttingandbusinessregulationsharvestreportingharvestertrainingcommercialactivitiesandalargediscussiononwildlifemanage-mentandmonitoringplansfordevelopersamongothers.Asimilarconsultationtourofpublicmeet-ingsthroughoutthecommunitieswillbescheduledinthenewyear.Gausaidnotimelimithasbeensetforthesecondphase.Allotherrulesconcerninggeneralhunt-inglicencesandharvestingrightsfornon-AboriginalhuntersincludingwheretheycanhuntareincludedintheWildlifeActlegislationandhavenotchanged.Informationonthelegislationcanbefoundonlineathttpwww.enr.gov.nt.caprogramswildlifenew-wildlife-actByMEAGANWOHLBERGLand-usersintheFortResolutionareawantofcialstostepintoprotectshstockstheysayarebeingdepletedbynon-residentnon-Aborig-inalandsportshersontheLittleBuffaloRiver.ArthurBeckaMtisharvesterfromFortResolutionsaiddecliningnumbersofshintheGreatSlaveLaketributaryhavebeenalong-standingconcernsincethecreationofPinePointmineintheearly1960s.ThecreationoftheLittleBuffaloRiverCross-ingterritorialparkhassincecontributedtotheproblemofovershinghesaidalongwithad-ditionalpressureputontheshstocksbyMen-nonitesfromnorthernAlbertawhocomeuptoharvestandpreservelargeamountsofsh.Sincetheyputthatterritorialparkinthereourpeopleusedtousethatsideoftheriver.RightnownobodyfromFortResolutionusesthatsideoftheriver.Itsfullofpeoplefromthesouththereandtherewasnoconsulta-tionBecksaid.ThoughFortResolutionsMtiscommunityraisedtheconcernspreviouslywithrepresen-tativesfromFisheriesandOceansDFOmoreneedstobedonesaidBeckwhobroughtuptheissueagainattheNWTMtisNationsrecentannualmeetingsinFortSmith.Beckputforwardaresolutioncallingforacatchandreleasesystemforallnon-residentnon-AboriginalandsportshersintheLittleBuffaloRiverwhichpassedunanimously.DirectorofNorthernoperationsforDFOLarryDowsaidhehasbeeninconversationwithBeckisawareoftheissuesandisnowawaitingformaldocumentationoftheconcernsfromthecommunitiesbeforethedepartmentwillstepin.WellproceedoncewegetthatletterfromthecommunityandtheMtisNationthattheyhaveconcernsaboutshstocksontheLittleBuffalohetoldTheJournal.Allweneedisaletterandwellstartfromthere.DowsaidthesameconcernwasbroughtupatrecentGreatSlaveLakeAdvisoryCommit-teemeetingsinHayRiverwhereamotionwaspassedthatmirrorstheMtisresolution.CatchandreleasebettersellthantotalbanWhileashingbanwaspreviouslyincon-siderationfortheriverthatwascontestedbytheDeninuKuFirstNationDKFNbecauseitwouldhurtbusinessatabandmembersshinglodge.Becksaidthecatchandreleasestipulationwouldallowbusi-nessandparkactivitiestocontinuewhileprotectingthesh.ItwillprotecttheinterestsofDKFNbecauseitdoesntaffectthelodge...Theydjustcatchtheshandtakepicturesandputitback.Thatdactuallybebettersothenextguycouldcatchittoo.MostofthelodgesaroundGreatSlaveLakearecatchandreleasehesaid.FortResolutionMtispresidentKaraKingagreedwiththeproposal.IthinkArthurssuggestiontousecatchandreleaseisprobablyabettersellIguesstomakesurethatovershingisnotgoingtohappen.IsupportitIthinkitsagreatplanbecauseoftheissuesthatwehaveworkingwithDKFNandtheyrenotsupportingtheban.Andno-bodywantstohaveashingbanbecausethennobodycanusethatparkshesaid.SpawningareasdisturbedbyboatsApartfromshingBecksaidtheshstockshavealsobeencompromisedbytherecreationalboatingencouragedbytheparkwhichhasdis-turbedknownspawningareas.InthespringtimeasmostpeopleknowthenorthernpikeandthewalleyeandsuckersspawnintheLittleBuffaloarea...aboutveorsixmilesuptheriveraplacecalledLittleRap-ids.ItsreallyshallowwithagravelbedanditsareallygoodplaceforspawningBecksaid.Sowhentheshlaytheireggsinthegravelbedstheseguysyupanddownintheirjetboatsandspraythemallovertheplace.BelindaMandevillewhosecondedBecksmo-tionsaidmoresupervisionisrequiredatthepark.WehavesevenparksintheSouthSlavere-gionandLittleBuffaloRiverCrossingistheonlyunsupervisedparkofalltheSouthSlaveshesaid.Alltheotherparkseveryattendantoverseeswhatishappeningwiththeshing.WhenyougouptheLittleBuffaloRivertheresapailtherewithalidandwhenyouopenitupitsalwayslledwithsh.Theresnoonewatchingpeoplewiththeirquotathere.Iseethisrsthand...Thatcampgroundneedsmoresupervision.IndustryTourismandInvestmentspokes-personAlaynaWardsaidinanemailthattheparkissupervisedbyacontractorandthatanyoversightforsportsshingrestswithDFOandthedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENR.ITIdoesnothaveamandatetomanageorenforcetheNWTFisheryRegulations.AnysuspiciousactivitiesregardingshingorknownsheryinfractionsarereportedtoENRandorDFObybothITIstaffandcon-tractstaffshesaid.FilephotoGoogleMapsimageAnewminimumcalibreof0.30isnowrequiredforhuntingbisonintheNWT.