There are several reasons barren-ground caribou populations in Canada have declined more than 70 per cent over the past two decades, but too much hunting by Indigenous people is not one of them, a new University of Alberta-led study shows.
“There is little to no evidence that harvesting has had any negative effects on wildlife population dynamics in Canada,” said Brenda Parlee, the lead researcher on the study that sought to unearth the facts about an issue she sees as poorly understood by governments and the public.
Some people assume Indigenous people will overhunt natural resources key to their cultures, economies and health unless central governments are involved, said Parlee, a U of A professor of natural resources management.
“You can see this kind of storyline in newspaper headlines in various parts of the country; such assumptions have also led to expensive and time-consuming processes of harvest management in Northern Canada and elsewhere in the country.”
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Image via University of Alberta.