Protecting the George River Caribou Calving Area

In the early 1990s, the George River caribou herd was the largest herd in the world, with an astonishing 800,000 animals migrating across northern Quebec and Labrador. The herd has since declined sharply, and numbers today are estimated at just 50,000 animals or less. Members of the International Boreal Conservation Science Panel (IBCSP) say that protecting the herd’s calving grounds gives caribou the room they need to recover, free of any extra pressure during their current vulnerability.

The final draft of the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area land-use plan is a product of three years of planning and broad consultations. This plan allows for resource development across more than half the territory, while allowing for some discretionary activity in parts and stricter conservation rules in more sensitive areas, such as within the 14,000 km² George River caribou calving grounds. Special zoning in the plan allows for low-impact activities like traditional Aboriginal hunting and fishing, tourism and outfitting, while protecting the calving grounds from future mining, hydroelectricity and road development.

The IBCSP, an interdisciplinary team of top North American scientists, has endorsed the final draft of the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area land-use plan and sent a letter urging the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Nunatsiavut Government to adopt it. Their final decision is due at the end of June.

View letter – English (PDF) >   –   View letter – Inuttitut (PDF) >

If you are a journalist hoping to cover this letter or include it in a story, the following photos may be used on a one-time basis for the sole purpose of covering this story.

A map of the region and link to the Regional Planning Authority website can also be found below the photos.

Contact: For more information, please contact Suzanne Fraser, 613-552-7277.

Photos:


Description: Caribou from the George River herd
Photo credit: Valerie Courtois, Canadian Boreal Initiative


Description: Caribou from the George River herd
Photo credit: Valerie Courtois, Canadian Boreal Initiative


George River caribou herd and newborns in the George River herd’s calving grounds
Credit: Serge Couturier

Map of the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area (LISA):