First Nation to co-manage moose population
The B.C. government and a First Nations group in the B.C. Interior have signed a deal to manage the declining moose population.
The agreement comes after First Nations called on the government to ban limited-entry hunting of moose in their territories.
In a news release Friday, the government said it will work with the Tsilhqot’in Nation to ensure a sustainable moose population in the Chilcotin territory.
B.C. Minister of Forests Doug Donaldson said the deal signed Friday recognizes moose as a “critical source of food, social and ceremonial hunting for Tsilhqot’in communities,” adding that it is understandable that the community wants a stronger say in how the population of moose is managed.
He said under the agreement, both parties will partner on setting up a framework for the co-management of wildlife.
Chief Joe Alphonse, tribal chairman for the Tsilhqot’in National Government, said that their community has been dealing with moose-management issues for a long time, and that many of the people who live in poverty rely on hunting and fishing as their main source of food.
Earlier this month, two First Nations called on the government to ban all limited-entry hunting for moose in their respective territories, while accusing the province of not taking effective action to protect the animals.
“Many of our members and communities have chosen to not hunt for moose, which should not go understated,” he said, in a statement.
Friday’s agreement doesn’t ban hunting, but rather sets up a shared decision-making process between the governments.
That process will include bringing together all stakeholders at a round table meeting to figure out how to deal with the moose decline.
The Tsilhqot’in Nation and Southern Dakelh Nation Alliance say that record-breaking wildfires have made struggling moose populations in the region even more vulnerable. They say fires have created thousands of access routes for hunters and predators, while drastically reducing high-value moose habitat. They add that because many are choosing not to exercise their Aboriginal rights to hunt moose, they are going without their main source of winter food.
Although the government hasn’t banned hunting, they are asking all hunters to respect the ban they have imposed on their territories.