Environment and Conservation
June 11, 2015

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

Labrador Caribou Initiative Engages Youth in Stewardship and Conservation Awareness

In order to better understand the factors influencing the population decline of the George River Caribou Herd, and to generate the science-based information required to support management decisions, the Provincial Government launched the Labrador Caribou Initiative in 2011. Supported to date by over $2.2 million in funding, along with an additional investment of $320,000 through Budget 2015, the goal of the initiative is to implement research and monitoring programs designed to inform management of the herd, including the implementation of a five-year ban on all hunting.

One aspect of the Labrador Caribou Initiative is to improve public awareness and stewardship about the George River caribou population. To that end, last year, 14 stakeholder groups including Aboriginal Governments, NGOs, private sector companies and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador collaborated on a Caribou Stewardship Awareness tee shirt project. Through the project, 500 tee shirts were purchased and distributed throughout Labrador, 200 of which were purchased by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and awarded to youth through an in-school contest as a method of increasing conservation awareness of the herd.

Through the contest, youth were asked to express why caribou are important to them and their families, by whatever creative means they chose. Mr. Speaker, the level of participation was fantastic with hundreds of entries being received in the form of drawings, stories, poems, slide shows and posters.

Mr. Speaker, through the response to the contest and the passion shown in the entries, it is clear that caribou are of great importance to the culture, traditions and lifestyle of many Labrador families and I would like to take this opportunity to commend the youth of Labrador for their interest in this critical species. I was extremely impressed by the artistry and creativity of all the entries and am pleased to advise that many are now available on the department�s website.

The status of caribou in Labrador is of concern not only to this government, but to all Labradorians. This initiative and others like it aim to initiate conversation about the issue, garner increased support for conservation initiatives, and instill a sense of stewardship in youth � now and in generations to come.

2015 06 11                              1:55 p.m.