Photo credit: Joshua J. White knowledge about light geese in the , Project summary from In the Canadian Arctic, populations of northern-breeding geese (mainly Lesser This project was funded by the Snow Geese, Chen caerulescens caerulescens, and Ross’ Geese, Chen rossii, Nunavut General Monitoring Program, hereafter called ‘light geese’; Kangut and Kangunnaaq in ) have POLAR Knowledge Canada, the increased dramatically in the last 50 years according to scientific research. Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Scientists are studying the impact that geese have on the land and other animals, and Environment and Climate Change including shorebirds. Their work to date suggests that light geese have affected Canada. For more information, please vegetation over large areas of the Canadian Arctic, and could negatively impact contact: [email protected]. shorebird populations nesting in areas where geese are abundant. In Nunavut, light geese are harvested by Inuit. Few studies document Inuit knowledge (IK) of goose populations and interactions of geese with the land, water, animals, and Project objectives people. Inuit have lived and hunted in the areas of the light goose colonies for • Documenting IK about light goose generations, and are knowledgeable about past and current patterns of goose populations and their impacts on the distribution and population growth or decline over time. Inuit knowledge will help land, water, other animals (including everyone to better understand how light geese are impacting the land, water and other bird species) and people in the Kivalliq region; other wildlife including shorebirds, and improve the way goose populations are managed today. This project documents Inuit knowledge about light geese and • Documenting Inuit-identifed strategies for light goose management that address shorebird ecology and management strategies, which was gathered in August Inuit concerns and perspectives; 2017 through interviews, groups discussions, participatory mapping, and sites • Increasing the capacity of Coral Harbour visits with 21 Coral Harbour residents. The study was conducted as a partnership residents to do IK research on wildlife; between Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Irniurviit and Nivvialik • Encouraging the combined use of IK Area Co-Management Committees, the and Aiviit (Coral Harbour) Hunters and scientific information to provide and Trappers Organizations, the Kivalliq Wildlife Board, and Carleton University. recommendations for light goose and It was led by a Project Management Committee comprised of representatives land management. from partner organizations. Photo credit: Andrew Dierks

Key findings (2) light geese are eating so much that • Shorebirds can be signs of changing weather, Here is what Coral Harbour they are changing the vegetation, and changing seasons, and nearby animals. residents said about light geese: (3) geese leave a lot of feathers and • People described different things about • Starting in 1917, the government tried droppings. the size of the shorebird population around to stop Inuit from hunting light geese • Some people said that when light geese Coral Harbour, such as (1) the number of because they said the numbers were too nest, it affects the land the most. Other shorebirds has not changed over time; (2) low. Inuit did not listen, as they saw how people said that when light geese graze, the number of shorebirds is decreasing; or many geese were nesting. it affects the land the most. (3) they are unsure about shorebird numbers. • In the past, people did not eat as many • People explained that light geese have • Reasons given about why fewer shorebirds light geese as today. Instead they hunted recently moved to new areas. Reasons are seen nowadays include: other animals. for this include: − Shorebirds have moved to new areas • Light geese were an important food − Climate change is making the land to feed (e.g., Red Phalarope); source from the time when there were drier than in the past; − People do not know because no one is no caribou around (starting in 1967) − Like all animals, light geese need to hunting them locally, so shorebirds must until there were enough caribou for move to new feeding grounds when be dying on their own; Sallirmiut to hunt (in the late 1970s). food runs out; − In 1988 or 1989, thousands of dead • In the past, light geese and their eggs − Light geese are avoiding predators such birds, with no wounds, were seen near were stored underground to keep as foxes, and higher numbers of hawks . The elders thought maybe them cool. and polar bears; they were struck by lightning; • Light geese are a very important food − Light geese have changed the land so − Drier land, lower water levels, and ozone source today. Mostly youth hunt them. they move when there is bare soil and depletion are negatively impacting • People described different things about nothing to build nests with; and shorebirds; the size of the light goose population − Use of motorized transportation − Shorebirds have been affected by around Coral Harbour, such as (1) the (snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles) changes in food source (e.g., not enough goose population is increasing and there when going out on the land has insects, overgrazed vegetation, lower are too many geese, (2) the goose become very common. The increase water level in lakes that have krill and population is increasing but this is fine, in types of transportation, the number little fish); (3) the goose population is stable. of people using them, and how often − Shorebirds have been negatively impacted • People described different things about people are using them has disturbed by changes in predators including new the impacts of light goose droppings on light geese and caused them to move birds of prey, a drastic increase in the the land, water, wildlife, and people. to new areas. number of ravens in the 1980s, and more Goose droppings are (1) contaminating polar bears; drinking water out on the land; (2) Here is what Coral Harbour contaminating the land; (3) helping the − Increased human activity and new land by adding nutrients; and (4) making residents said about shorebirds: methods of transportation (e.g., local caribou sick when light goose droppings • Shorebird meat, eggs, fat, feathers, and boats, large ships, all-terrain vehicles) are on their food. skins were very important in the past. create noise and pollution that impact shorebirds; and • People described different things about • Today, people still enjoy seeing and how light geese have changed the land. hearing shorebirds, and eating their eggs. − Shorebirds are affected by human They mentioned that (1) this is just part activity in the South. of the natural cycle and not a concern; Photo credit: Paul Smith

Light geese and shorebird management strategies Here is what Coral Harbour • More research is needed about the residents said about light light goose population size outside the Qaqsauqtuuq (East Bay) and the geese management strategies Ikattuaq (Harry Gibbons) Migratory that could be implemented Bird Sanctuaries. in the future: • Take no action as people want the • Hire local hunters to harvest enough light geese to come back next year. light geese for everyone in Coral The final step of this project consisted in Harbour and for communities that Here is what Coral Harbour do not get many light geese". a workshop held in Winnipeg in September residents said about shorebird 2018 where IK holders, biologists, and • Put a bounty on light geese. management strategies that wildlife managers shared their knowledge and developed joint recommendations for • Hunt light geese commercially and build could be implemented in the management of light geese in the a local processing plant (i.e., factory for the future: Kivalliq region, Nunavut. treatment of meat and down). • Many people said they did not know • Have open sport hunting for light geese. what could be done to increase • Increase the sport hunting daily bag shorebird numbers. limit and the length of hunting season • It would be hard to change boat or ship for non-Inuit in order to encourage traffic because Coral Harbour people are people to come to Coral Harbour. going to continue boating and they • Develop tourism opportunities such as cannot stop ships. Only the government bird watching and seeing nesting areas. can make those changes. • Light geese should not be wasted. • Protect some beaches in the South for This is not the Inuit way. shorebirds to rest on during migration.

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᓄᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑏᑦ Nunavut General Monitoring Plan Nunavunmi Tamainni Takuurivangnikkut Parnaiyautaanni Plan de surveillance générale du Nunavut