Environment and Conservation Minister, the Honourable Charlene Johnson, announced today that a caribou population census for the Northern portion of the island has begun and will continue to mid-March.

"It is critical that we garner an understanding of the decline in our woodland caribou population, and the collection of necessary data is critical to this process," said Minister Johnson. "We have ascertained declines in the range of 40-60 per cent for most herds on the island portion of the province, and a 90 per cent decline rate for the Grey River herd. The data we collect on the Northern Peninsula will complement the information we have collected in the other regions of the province, and help us as we move forward with our five-year caribou strategy."

As part of the census, there is a requirement for some caribou to be marked using a highly-visible red paint. When the painting is complete, the caribou will be counted and the relative ratio of marked animals to unmarked animals will assist in establishing the total population estimate for the area. The marked caribou does not indicate the animal has been injured in any way.

Additionally, the public are also advised that low-flying aircraft will be used in the area to conduct much of this census work.

The Provincial Government recently announced $15.3 million in funding for a five-year scientific and management strategy of the island woodland caribou populations. The strategy builds upon earlier efforts to better understand and mitigate the current decline in woodland caribou numbers and the role of predators in this decline. The new investment builds on $3.7 million allocated over the past two years in response to evidence which led to the development of this five-year caribou strategy.

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Media contact:
Melony O�Neill
Director of Communications (Acting)
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca