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2 Wednesday October 28 2015 ENVIRONMENT WILDLIFE NEWS BRIEFS Deton Cho Corp. hires CEO The Yellowknives Dene First Nations YKDFN economic development arm has a new leader. James Wong a char- tered accountant with decades of First Nations and inter- nationalbusinessexperienceisthenewpresidentandCEO of the Deton Cho Corporation DCC. Wong understands the drivers of the Northern economy particularly resource development according to a release. His previous experi- ence includes senior management positions with Diavik Diamond Mine and the territorial governments Financial Management Board Secretariat. Charges in Wood Buffalo robbery WoodBuffaloRCMPhavearrestedandchargedtwomenin connectionwitharobberyatadowntownconveniencestore July13.VictorArogundade19andTJohaniDon-Juanique Majuriealso19ofFortMcMurrayarefacingseveralCrimi- nal Code charges including robbery disguised with intent and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Both werereleasedonbailwithconditionsandfuturecourtdates. According to police a knife was brandished during the rob- bery and cash was taken but no one was hurt. The charges have not been proven in court. Workers board creates online portal TheWorkersSafetyandCompensationCommissionWSCC hasanewbilingualonlineportalcalledWSCCConnectwhich makesinformation easier foremployerstoaccessandcom- pleteallattheirconvenienceonline.WSCCConnectwillini- tiallylaunchwiththreeemployer-focussedservicesMakea PaymentViewAssessmentRatesandRequestaClearance. To access the new WSCC Connect e-Business services visit wscc.nt.ca or wscc.nu.ca and click on the WSCC Connect button located at the top of the page. COMPLETE CARE FAMILY DENTISTRY Walk-insemergenciesandnewpatientsarealwayswelcome Fort Smiths DENTAL HYGIENIST ANTOINE EID has returned WelcomebackAntoine OUR FORT SMITH OFFICE OFFERS IN-HOUSE LAB Complete dentures and partials in 10 days Repairs and adjustment on dentures and partials Adjustmentsandrecementingofcrowns andbridges On-site denture cleaning Night guards and sport guards Orthodontic consultations Whiteningkitsin-officeandtake-home Ifyouhavesensitiveteethandneedfreezing beforeyourcleaningourhygienististrained toinjectfreezing. Dr. Kobaisys Dental Clinic DR. KOBAISY IS IN FORT SMITH FOR 3 DAYS EVERY 2 WEEKS. T 867-872-2887 or Toll Free 1-866-535-2887 Fax 867-872-2889 Plus more services at our sister office in Yellowknife Contact Somba Ke Dental Clinic at 866-698-2027. By DALI CARMICHAEL The Tlicho Government is doing its part to protect the Bathurst caribou herd by not harvesting during the 2015- 16 season. Theindigenousgovernment aco-manageroftheherdmade thecallafterreviewingsummer surveys from the department of Environment and Natural Resources ENR that show a dip in the territorys caribou population. The news is not good for boththeBluenoseEastandthe Bathurstcariboutheyareinde- clineTlichoGrandChiefEddie Erasmus said in an interview with the Journal. The Tlicho Government and the govern- ment of the NWT we had to address this hard situation. The number of animals in theBathurstherdhasdropped from about 32000 in 2012 to take place in the Tlicho com- munities starting next week Erasmus said. Dropping caribou numbers found throughout herds Earlysurveyresultsshowed the Bluenose East herd num- bers also declined from ap- proximately 68000 animals in 2013 to an estimate of be- tween 35000 to 40000 cari- bou. The number of breeding cows in the herd dropped by 50 per cent from 34000 in 2013 to 17000 in 2015. OtherBarrengroundcaribou herdsthroughouttheterritories have seen similar shrinkage. ingovernmentbutinthiscase theyve done the right thing. Weve been working together for years on caribou. Other Aboriginal govern- ments have agreed to take ac- tion to conserve the Bathurst caribou Miltenberger said. The NWT Metis Nation in- dicated it would not harvest fromtheherdwhiletheNorth Slave Metis Alliance and the Yellowknives Dene First Na- tion have acknowledged the need to comply with and ac- ceptrecommendedENRcon- servation measures. Weveprettywellinterms of the Bathurst got most of the players engaged Milten- berger said though he noted a key piece to the protection puzzle is still missing. Nunavut continues to al- locate tags not only allocat- ing tags but allocating tags for the commercial harvest so this has to be resolved he said. Theres been chats at the premier level at the ministeriallevelatthedeputy level at the co-management level so its still an unresolved piece of business. Its a herd that doesnt recognize po- litical boundaries it goes through the NWT up into Nunavut where they calve. One of the issues on the Nunavut side of course is that they dont harvest that herd directly so for them its not as pressing an issue as it is for us. They harvest more theBluenoseEastwhichgoes into the Kugluktuk area and thentherestheBeverlyAhiak and Qamanirjuaq herds. Deliberations between the two territories will likely con- tinue into the 18th Legislative Assembly Miltenberger said. The Journal reached out to the Nunavut department of Environment for comment but did not receive an answer before press deadline. Tlicho calls off Bathurst caribou harvest to protect dwindling herd approximately16000to22000 in 2015 according to the re- port. The number of breeding cows one of the crucial indi- cators of herd health has also dropped by 50 per cent to ap- proximately 8000. In 1986 the same herd was approximately470000strong. Thiswasaveryharddecision to make by the Tlicho Govern- mentanditsnottakenlightly Erasmus said. We are willing tohaltourhuntontheBathurst thisyearaswellaswillingtosig- nicantlyreduceourhuntonthe Bluenose East herd. We know this is a sacrice to Tlicho but this has to happen to preserve thecaribouforourchildrenand future generations. Community consultations addressingtherestrictionwill The Bluenose West herd populationhasdroppedfrom 20000in2012toabout15000 while the Cape Bathurst herd hasdeclinedfromabout2400 in2012to2260animals.The Tuktoyaktuk peninsula pop- ulation is now estimated to be 1701 animals down from 2192 in 2012. NWT vs Nunavut ENR Minister Michael Miltenberger spoke with the Journalaboutthedecisionon Oct. 23 just days before the writ on the territorial elec- tion was dropped. Asagovernmenttheyareto becommendedfortheposition theyvetakenhesaid.Doing the right thing is not often the easiestthingtodowhenyoure Nunavut continues to allocate tags for the commercial harvest so this has to be resolved. Its a herd that doesnt recognize political boundaries. Michael Miltenberger ENR Minister The number of caribou in the Bluenose East pictured here and the Bathurst herds are in serious decline prompting the Tlicho Government to halt its harvest for the 2015-16 season. PhotocourtesyofGNWT