Narwhal swimming in the ocean. A new narwhal management is in place in Canada's eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut.

A new narwhal management is in place in Canada's eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut.
Photo Credit: Kristin Laidre / NOAA / AP

Eye on the Arctic – Balancing science and aboriginal knowledge in Canada’s North

Each week, Eye on the Arctic features stories and newsmakers from Canada’s northern regions.

Narwhal is an important species in Canada’s North.  To local Inuit communities it’s a source of food and sustenance and can provide a small source of income.

Issues around the conservation and preservation of the animal are the subject of ongoing discussions.

What’s the best way to balance science  and traditional knowledge? How should conservation plans be crafted to best respect the needs of aboriginal communities?

“It’s quite complex and I’m sure it will be quite complex for years to come,” says  Gabriel Nirlungayuk, Director of Wildlife and Environment at  Nunavut Tunngavik Inc (NTI), the Inuit land claims organization in Canada’s eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut.

But in May, a fisheries management plan was announced for narwhal in Canada’s northern Hudson Bay.

The plan is a joint effort between Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc (NTI), the Inuit land claims organization.

Given the size of Nunavut, Nirlungayuk says it’s a huge effort to put such a plan in place but he’s optimistic about the results for those living in Nunavut.

“It’s has been a challenge both from the authorities’ side and from the Inuit side but fortunately, whether people like it or not, we were able to come together from some kind of consensus .”

To find out more about the challenges and advantages of brining scientific and traditional knowledge together, Eye on the Arctic’s Eilís Quinn reached Gabriel Nirlungayuk in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

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Related Links: 

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

The Narwhal”, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Categories: Economy, Environment & Animal Life, Indigenous, Society
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