Polar Bear Numbers
Inuit elders in Nunavut's western Hudson Bay area say more polar bears need to be hunted, as their populations are rising — contrary to scientific data that suggests a decrease.
Elders and hunters from the territory's Kivalliq region told the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board on the first day of public consultations Tuesday in Arviat that they and others have noticed more encounters with polar bears in recent years.
This is a rather unique dilemma for me. Normally, I have little problem with accepting scientific data over just what people think happens to be true. The increased encounters can easily be explained as the fewer bears coming closer to communities, (and their garbage dumps,) than that there are more bears overall.
The reason for my hesitation on this matter is that the scientific data proved wrong on a different polar bear population. The Inuit insisted the population in the Davis Strait had increased and the Government of Nunavut increased the hunting quota, sparking condemnation from the usual quarters. However, when a census was taken, it was shown that the Inuit numbers were the accurate ones.
On the other hand, the locals said the same about the Baffin Bay population and the belief now is that the herd is in decline from over-hunting.
Like the brouhaha over the caribou numbers in the NWT, part of the problem is the amount of money sport hunters bring to the territory for shooting the bears. It provides a significant source of income for a territory that at the moment has few other natural resources being exploited due to its remoteness and small population.
Like I said then, better to try and ensure a steady supply of caribou/bears for the future than wipe them out for short term gain. We’ll see what happens.
