Inuit hunters frustrated by polar bear conservation rules that put their lives at risk

‘The rules are taking over Inuit tradition and the bears are taking over Inuit. We’re just watching in the distance, afraid of these bears because they’re free to do whatever they want.’ says Brian Aglukark, after two fatal polar bear attacks this summer (CBC,  24 September 2018).

Here’s an excerpt (my bold):

“A hunter from Arviat, Nunavut, says more and more polar bears are taking over traditional Inuit hunting grounds, leaving hunters feeling scared and helpless to defend themselves — especially with current polar bear conservation rules.

Brian Aglukark was one of the first men to respond to the polar bear attack that killed 31-year-old Aaron Gibbons while he was on a fishing trip earlier this summer. In late August, three hunters from Naujaat were involved in this summer’s second fatal polar bear attack that claimed one life.

“It’s been a tough summer,” said Aglukark.

Aglukark said he and other hunters noticed that, in recent years, polar bears seem to be less afraid of human activity, and people are spotting them more frequently near communities.

“[The bears] seem to be very comfortable — some of them go right up to the nets,” he said, adding that last year, a polar bear came to shore and started eating a whale that he and a group of hunters had caught.

“These polar bears seem to have no fear at all in human activity.”

We’re just watching in the distance, afraid of these bears because they’re free to do whatever they want.- Brian Aglukark , hunter from Arviat

Aglukark said hunters are expressing fears about defending themselves as they are bound by quotas.

Earlier in August, it was reported that several polar bears were shot without tags in Arviat and weren’t harvested. Arviat had already used up its quota of polar bear tags from last fall, so no hunting is currently permitted.

“There’s genuine fear from the hunters,” Aglukark said, adding there’s a lack of understanding of what hunters are allowed to do in self-defence when a quota is reached — so hunters end up risking their lives.

…

Aglukark said he knows of even experienced hunters who don’t want to go to their regular hunting spots.

Aglukark is calling for more clarity and updates to the territory’s current polar bear management plan, and assurance that Inuit hunting and being out on the land isn’t compromised due to increases in human-bear conflicts.

“That lifestyle, that hunting lifestyle, that camping lifestyle, is starting to fight for space … with the polar bear,” he said.

…

For Arviat, the quota was set at 10 polar bears for that same period.

According to a joint federal and territorial document on polar bears, quotas include “all known human-caused mortalities,” like harvesting, sport hunting, and illegal kills. Bears killed while defending one’s life or property are also included in the quota.

The only exception to the quota is “humane kills,” explained Peter Polanowski, spokesperson for the territorial environment department. That includes killing sick, severely injured or malnourished bears.

The government didn’t specify why defence kills are included in the quota, but said all human-caused deaths are counted for polar bear management reasons.”

Read the rest here.

Officials earlier this month confirmed that none of the bears involved in the fatal attacks this summer were starving.