A former Conservation officer has written an open letter to Premier Andrew Furey calling for action and an open discussion on the illegal hunting of caribou in Labrador.
Hollis Yetman says hunters from Quebec have been entering Labrador for years and harvesting caribou despite a ban on hunting imposed by the Newfoundland and Labrador government since the caribou herd numbers plummeted.
Yetman says because the herds are so small and scattered when animals are removed, the potential for repopulation is gone—possibly forever.
He wants to know if anyone from either the provincial or federal governments has been in conversation with Innu leadership on the Quebec North Shore to discuss the dire situation.
Some have suggested the annual harvest is part of a protest hunt, but Yetman is not sure about that. Regardless of the situation, Yetman says time is running out.
He honestly believes the Innu of Quebec want to hunt caribou and bring it back to their communities for cultural reasons, but he questions whether government officials have been in conversation with Quebec Innu leaders to discuss ongoing issues and concerns.
“If it’s some type of political agenda” in asserting land rights as some have suggested says Yetman, then the danger is that the caribou will disappear, and the bargaining chips will be gone.