Nunavut Consultation Report Consultations on the Proposed Listing of the Polar Bear as Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act Conducted February—April 2009 by the Canadian Wildlife Service Submitted to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board in accordance with Step 3.8 of the Memorandum of Understanding to Harmonize the Designation of Endangered Species under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Species at Risk Act Prepared by: Canadian Wildlife Service Iqaluit, Nunavut August 2009 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................2 2. Consultation Procedures ..........................................................................................3 Pre-consultation........................................................................................................3 During consultation...................................................................................................3 Post-consultation ......................................................................................................4 3. Consultation Dates and Attendance.........................................................................5 4. Summary of Feedback .............................................................................................7 A. Written responses received..................................................................................7 B. Main Comments and Concerns............................................................................8 Distribution of main comments and concerns by community ..............................12 C. Other comments and concerns ..........................................................................14 Distribution of other comments and concerns by community ..............................19 D. Short Meeting Summaries..................................................................................22 Pangnirtung.........................................................................................................22 Qikiqtarjuaq.........................................................................................................22 Clyde River .........................................................................................................22 Pond Inlet............................................................................................................22 Arctic Bay............................................................................................................23 Resolute Bay.......................................................................................................23 Grise Fiord ..........................................................................................................23 Cape Dorset........................................................................................................23 Hall Beach...........................................................................................................24 Igloolik.................................................................................................................24 Sanikiluaq ...........................................................................................................24 Iqaluit ..................................................................................................................25 Kimmirut..............................................................................................................25 Kugluktuk ............................................................................................................25 Cambridge Bay ...................................................................................................26 Taloyoak .............................................................................................................26 Kugaaruk.............................................................................................................26 Gjoa Haven .........................................................................................................26 Rankin Inlet .........................................................................................................27 Arviat...................................................................................................................27 Whale Cove ........................................................................................................27 Coral Harbour......................................................................................................28 Repulse Bay........................................................................................................28 Chesterfield Inlet .................................................................................................28 Appendices ................................................................................................................30 Appendix A. Consultation Materials........................................................................30 Appendix B. Full Meeting Summaries.....................................................................60 Appendix C. HTO Response Forms and Letters Received...................................187 Appendix D. Public Response Forms and Letters Received ................................215 Appendix E. Organizations- Letters Received ......................................................245 Appendix F. Schedule of consultations in other regions .......................................247 Nunavut Consultation Report: Polar Bear Proposed SARA Listing 1 1. Introduction The polar bear was assessed as a species of Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in April 2008. Under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the Minister of the Environment must consult relevant provinces and territories as well as relevant wildlife management boards before making a legal listing recommendation to the Governor in Council on whether to accept the assessment of the status of a species by COSEWIC. Under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA), government seeks community input before bringing issues to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB) for decision. The process for SARA listing consultations in Nunavut is detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the federal government and the NWMB which harmonizes the listing process under SARA with the NLCA. The SARA-NLCA Harmonization MOU outlines a process in which the federal government conducts public consultations with affected communities before seeking NWMB approval for species listings. Environment Canada held consultations on the proposed listing of the polar bear in Nunavut from February to April 2009. This report summarizes the results of the Nunavut consultations and is being submitted to the NWMB in correspondence with Step 3.8 of the SARA-NLCA Harmonization MOU. The results of Nunavut consultations are also for consideration by the federal Minister of the Environment. Consultation is also occurring in other provinces and territories and with other wildlife management boards that have jurisdiction or that share responsibility for the management of polar bear populations. Summaries of consultations in other regions are not yet available. Refer to Appendix F for the schedule of consultations in other regions. Nunavut Consultation Report: Polar Bear Proposed SARA Listing 2 2. Consultation Procedures Pre-consultation In December 2008, Environment Canada briefed the NWMB on the proposed listing and asked for recommendations on the proposed consultation approach. It was decided that Environment Canada would consult every Nunavut community on the proposed listing through in-person meetings. Each community was sent a consultation package (Appendix A) with information on the proposed listing, including narrated presentations, and invited to indicate whether or not they wished to have an in-person meeting. A copy of the consultation package was provided to the NWMB in January 2009 before consultations began and was reviewed by NWMB staff. The materials were also provided to the Government of Nunavut (GN), Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), and the Chair of COSEWIC and the Chair of the COSEWIC Mammals Subcommittee with opportunity for review. NTI and Regional Wildlife Organizations accepted the invitation to participate in the consultations. The GN declined the invitation to participate in the consultations; however, local GN Conservation Officers were invited to meetings in each community. The Hunters and Trappers Organizations (HTOs) in each community, through a contract, provided logistical support to Environment Canada, including help to ensure that meetings were well-advertised and that materials could be shared with, and collected from, the public after the meetings took place. During consultation In each community, meetings were held with the HTO Directors and then with the public. HTOs are elected bodies established under Article 5 of the NLCA that manage wildlife at the community level. The consultation team was comprised of an Environment Canada biologist who led the presentations and responded to questions, another EC staff to manage the administration, logistics and recording (audio and written), a contract interpreter, a second local interpreter in some cases, and in most cases the representative(s) from NTI and/or the Regional Wildlife Organization. Environment Canada made two presentations at each in-person meeting. The first was