The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Environment and Conservation:

Island Caribou Strategy Continues to Help Mitigate Population Decline

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to highlight an important ongoing conservation initiative in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 2008, the Provincial Government has been engaged in a five-year, $15.3 million woodland caribou strategy to help understand and mitigate the current population decline. Caribou populations on the island peaked in the mid to late 1990s at more than 95,000 animals, and have since declined to the current population of approximately 32,000 animals.

Over the past several years, Mr. Speaker, we have been engaged in data collection, analysis, reporting, public education, and adaptive management. This has involved the radio-collaring and monitoring of hundreds of individual caribou across an area of more than 110,000 square kilometres.

An important component of our strategy is the research on caribou-predator interactions in three geographically and ecologically distinct regions of our island. Thousands of samples have been collected to provide information on population density, genetics, diet and food habits. We also completed a diversionary feeding experiment to determine whether we could effectively distract black bear from caribou calves while they are most vulnerable to predation. Although our efforts successfully modified bear behaviour, it did not result in an increase in calf survival. Our focus has now turned to other known predators such as coyotes.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I had the opportunity to host representatives from local media outlets in the Middle Ridge area of our province. It was an opportunity for them to see the calving grounds first hand, the role that predation plays during caribou calving season, and our efforts to enhance calf survival rates. We recently conducted an experimental lethal removal of coyote in this controlled area to determine if it was an effective means to reduce coyote predation during the critical first few weeks of caribou calf life. The analysis of this work is now underway to determine if this experimental program helped improve calf survival in the area.

Our government is dedicated to the conservation and management of wildlife in our province, built on the common principle of sustainability. The continuing efforts of our caribou strategy will help ensure the effective and efficient management of this important species to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you.

2012 06 26                2:35 p.m.