The Government of Canada continues to work with Inuit partners to protect nature, conserve biodiversity, and combat the effects of climate change on land, water, ice, and wildlife. Caribou have a spiritual and cultural significance to many Indigenous peoples and are central to Inuit well-being in the Arctic ecosystem. Partnerships and collaboration are essential to monitor and conserve the caribou herds across Nunavut's vast and varied landscapes and seascapes.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced that the Government of Canada will invest $6.6 million over four years to support the Government of Nunavut's multi-year research and monitoring activities of the 13 barren-ground, Dolphin Union, and Peary Caribou herds in the territory.
Minister Guilbeault made the announcement alongside the Honourable Joanna Quassa, Minister of Environment for Nunavut, at the Legislative Assembly in Iqaluit. The investment supports aerial surveys, the launch of a telemetry program using remote sensors, and significant data analysis. Data gathered on caribou migration patterns, habitat usage, and other trends will guide future decisions involving the culturally-significant species-such as allowable harvest quotas and improving understanding of the impacts of development. Caribou have provided food, tools, and clothes to the Inuit for thousands of years. The investment also supports ongoing engagement activities in communities throughout Nunavut in partnership with regional wildlife and hunting organizations.
