Environment and Natural Resources

Environment and Wildlife

Climate Change

NunatuKavut communities are experiencing the impacts of climate change firsthand. Local conditions and ecosystems are changing, which affect community health, safety and culture. Understanding the climate is important to the management of natural resources and the future of coastal communities. NCC continues to play a more meaningful role in monitoring, research and action on climate change now and into the future.

NCC is leading discussions within communities to gather and share Indigenous knowledge and identify priorities for the territory. This is necessary to support immediate and short-term needs, such as changes in weather and ice conditions, as well as longer-term monitoring and research needs that focus on changes in the climate and ecosystems over time.

Community-Based Climate Monitoring Project

NCC has just started a three-year Community-Based Climate Monitoring Project that engages community youth, elders, and adults who currently spend time out on the land hunting, fishing, or harvesting berries and plants. It involves the communities of Cartwright, Charlottetown and St. Lewis. The project will be expanded to other communities when possible.

The project will focus on seven climate indicators from sea ice to invasive species (primarily aquatic) to health and seasonal timing of plants. Knowledge and data will be collected in three ways:

• Youth Direct Ice and Water Monitoring
• Elder Climate Knowledge
• “Out on the Land” for collecting observations from active adults.

While the first is specifically designed to provide youth with skills and climate knowledge, youth will also be involved in the others as observers and assistants to NCC staff. This will increase opportunities for intergenerational transfer of knowledge as well as to build skills in this area.

Caribou

Mealy Mountain Caribou Herd

NCC is concerned about the population of the Mealy Mountain Caribou Herd (MMCH), whose habitat is located wholly within NunatuKavut. It is currently listed as a threatened species under federal and provincial legislation. A survey of the herd’s population estimates was last completed in 2012 and a population census took place in 2019. NCC strongly encourages its people to avoid any harvesting of this herd until there is further information and data to inform management decisions.

Ungava Peninsula Caribou Aboriginal Round Table (UPCART)

Evidence from both our traditional knowledge holders and scientific data continue to show significant declines in caribou populations harvested by Indigenous groups and nations inhabiting the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula. As a result, a collective decision was made in 2013 to establish an Indigenous leadership-led initiative to discuss concerns relating to caribou called UPCART. It was formed with membership from seven nations, including Inuit of NCC, Inuit of Nunavik, Inuit of Nunatsiavut, Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee)/Cree Nation Government (GCC(EI)/CNG), Innu Nation of Labrador and all Innu communities from the Québec region.

One of the priorities of UPCART was to develop a caribou management strategy with a wholistic Indigenous vision. The management strategy, called “A LONG TIME AGO IN THE FUTURE: CARIBOU AND THE PEOPLE OF UNGAVA,” was officially released at a historic signing ceremony with all seven nations in October 2017 in Montreal. A copy of the strategy can be downloaded by clicking on the following link:

• UPCART Management Strategy – A Long Time Ago in the Future: Caribou and the People of Ungava

Other Species At Risk

Since the arrival of the first European settlers, more than 30 wildlife species have become extinct in Canada. (Hinterland’s Who Who). A species at risk is any plant or animal that is likely to become extinct, or is at risk of disappearing from the NL or Canada. Species assessed as extirpated, endangered, threatened or special concern/vulnerable are all considered species at risk.

NCC needs to conserve NunatuKavut’s plants, animals, and ecosystems so that we have an environment that supports healthy communities. If we properly manage our activities and use our natural resources in a sustainable way, we can help protect vulnerable species, today and into the future.

ENR’s ongoing activities will continue to manage the conservation of the species at risk within NunatuKavut territory and to educate about the current species at risk and the important role NunatuKavut Inuit play in its conservation. Recovery activities will include outreach, monitoring and data collection, gathering and documenting Inuit Traditional Knowledge and species at risk protection.

The program will target the following Species At Risk:

• Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Boreal population – Threatened
• Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) – Endangered
• Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) – Endangered
• Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) – Special Concern
• Wolverine (Gulo gulo) – Special Concern
• Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) – Endangered
• Red Knot rufa subspecies (Calidris canutus rufa) – Endangered

There maybe other species at risk within NCC territory that might be added to the program, however, more research will be required to determine potential activities. The species that could be included are other migratory birds (bank swallow, barrow’s goldeneye, common nighthawk, harlequin duck olive-sided flycatcher, peregrine falcon anatum/tundrius, rusty blackbird, short-eared owl) and insects (gypsy cuckoo and yellow-banded bumble bee).

The Government of Canada maintains a species at risk public registry. Please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry.html to learn more.

Report an unknown animal or plant or a species at risk
to 709-960-0407 or sighting@nunatukavut.ca

Migratory Birds

NCC has been consulting with NunatuKavut Inuit on migratory bird and gull egg harvests for many years. Education workshops and field surveys, such as Wingbees, nest plumage surveys, nest egg hatch surveys, and harvest surveys have been influential in moving towards developing a proposed harvest management strategy to Council. While protecting the resource, NCC understands the need to preserve our relationship to traditional food harvests. A harvesting management strategy is being developed to ensure NunatuKavut Inuit can continue to rely on traditional foods while protecting the resource.

• 2023 Spring Bird/Egg Harvest: Practices for Conservation on Inuit Lands in NunatuKavut