Indigenous Group: 7 Indigenous groups in the north

Business: Federal Government

Issue: Preserve and manage caribou in the Ungava Peninsula

Comment: Response to the critical population declines in both the caribou herds of George River (770K in 1993 to 5.5K in 2018) and Leaf River (628K in 2001 to 181K in 2016)

Last Updates: Jan. 27, 2020: The Nunatsiavut Government – advises Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement that a provincially-imposed hunting ban on George River caribou remains in effect. As a member the Ungava Peninsula Caribou Aboriginal Round Table (UPCART), the Nunatsiavut Government has agreed to discourage Beneficiaries from harvesting any George River caribou while the ban is in place.

“The George River caribou is in a critical state and any harvesting now will significantly impact the recovery of these precious animals that are so culturally important to the Labrador Inuit,” notes Lands and Natural Resources Minister Greg Flowers. “We have relied on these caribou for many years for social, cultural, and nutritional purposes to feed and cloth ourselves, families, and communities. We must do whatever we can to help protect these animals that have provided so much to us.”