Sahtú Ragóɂa (Hunting Law) and Approaches to Wildlife Harvesting: Report on the Colville 2020 Public Listening (Hearing) Session Report and Reasons for Decision

In April 2019, in response to conservation concerns about the three caribou ecotypes that inhabit or travel through the Sahtú region, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı (Sahtú Renewable Resources Board – SRRB) decided to undertake a series of public listening (hearing) sessions to address the question, “What are the most effective ways to conserve caribou?”
Given evidence regarding the threatened status of ɂekwę́ (Bluenose East barren-ground caribou), Colville Lake’s expressed concerns about ɂǝdǝ (barren-ground caribou) in their traditional territory, the threatened status of tǫdzı (boreal caribou), and the consideration of shúhta goɂepę́ (mountain caribou) as a species of special concern in the NWT, the SRRB concluded there was sufficient conservation concern to trigger a hearing. Under section 13.8.21 of the Sahtú Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (SDMCLCA), a hearing can be called when harvest restrictions are being considered or when the SRRB is satisfied that a hearing is desirable. The SRRB decided the first public listening session should focus on the question, “What is the most effective way to regulate the harvest of caribou?” Colville Lake (“Colville”) offered to host the session, since the topic is one of particular importance to that community. The SRRB accepted the offer, taking into consideration which of the five topics planned for the five public listening sessions was best suited to each of the five Sahtú communities.
The public listening session was held on January 21-23, 2020, following two regional community conservation planning workshops, two pre-session teleconferences, and two rounds of information requests. This report addresses ten key issues arising from the Colville 2020 Public Listening Session, and outlines evidence, findings, and law as the basis for eight decisions and 18 recommendations.