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Akaitcho First Nations say they want to temporarily ban winter road hunting of caribou within an agreed boundary.
Delegates from the Yellowknives Dene, Łútsël K’é Dene, and Deninu Kųę́ First Nations approved a resolution calling for a caribou hunting moratorium at the recent Akaitcho general assembly.
As a result, the Akaitcho Territory Government said it sent an email to the NWT government on November 28 requesting measures to stop winter road hunting in an agreed-upon boundary along the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road for five years.
The First Nations further said the moratorium should be revisited annually and be lifted once caribou numbers have returned to “acceptable limits.”
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The First Nations said the move came in response to the NWT government’s latest population estimates for the Bathurst and Bluenose East caribou herds, which indicate both herds have declined. The Bathurst herd in particular has dropped to an estimated 3,609 animals.
“The Akaitcho Dene First Nations are dependent on caribou for food sustenance and are concerned about their food source for generations to come,” the First Nations stated in a news release.
The Akaitcho Territory Government added it supports other regions who have “indicated that something must be done to assist the caribou.”
According to the CBC, the Tłı̨chǫ Government is similarly hoping to introduce a five-year pause on winter hunting of caribou in 2027 within a corridor along the winter road.
Currently, hunting of barren-ground caribou is prohibited within a designated zone that moves over time based on the location of Bathurst caribou.
