01 May 2018 Nunavut Wildlife Management Board 3rd Floor Allavik Building P.O. Box 1379 Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 Email:
[email protected] Pertaining to NWMB’s Regular Meeting No. RM 002-2018: Final Draft Management Plan for the Ahiak Migratory Bird Sanctuary for Consideration by the NWMB for Approval The Ahiak (Queen Maud Gulf) Migratory Bird Sanctuary, located between Umingmaktok, Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut, was created in 1961. Through the Nunavut Agreement, an Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement for National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries in the Nunavut Settlement Area (IIBA) was signed by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the three Regional Inuit Associations (Kitikmeot Inuit Association, Kivalliq Inuit Association and Qikiqtani Inuit Association) and the federal Minister of the Environment, Environment and Climate Change Canada (signed first in 2006 and renegotiated in 2016). This IIBA created co-management committees for these protected areas in Nunavut (IIBA Article 3). The Ahiak Migratory Bird Sanctuary is co-managed by Inuit (from Umingmaktok, Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven) and the Canadian Wildlife Service (a part of Environment and Climate Change Canada) through the Ahiak Area Co-Management Committee. Part of the mandate of the Ahiak Area Co-Management Committee is to develop a Management Plan for the Ahiak Migratory Bird Sanctuary (IIBA s. 3.2.3(b) and s. 3.5). The Ahiak Area Co- Management Committee completed a draft Management Plan and consulted with the associated communities and other interested parties on the draft (IIBA s. 3.5). As per the IIBA, 3.6.1 The ACMCs [Area Co-Management Committees] shall recommend completed Management Plans to the NWMB [Nunavut Wildlife Management Board] for approval in accordance with sections 5.2.34(c) and 5.3.16 of the NLCA [Nunavut Agreement].