Using integrated resource management and the public trust doctrine to examine wildlife management practices in northern Labrador: a case study on the George River caribou hunting ban

• Main Author: Dicker, Jason K. M.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; inuit; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/14816/; https://research.library.mun.ca/14816/1/thesis.pdf

The people of Labrador, especially the Inuit, rely on their surrounding resources to sustain themselves and their culture. In particular, the Labrador Inuit depended upon the George River Caribou Herd (GRCH), once one of the largest caribou herds in the world, to provide them with a staple food supply, nourishment, materials, and facilitate the intergenerational sharing of knowledge and important social and cultural norms, all of which are critical to life in Arctic and subarctic environments. This woodland caribou population, however, has declined by 99% over much of it range resulting in a hunting ban, and consequently, a cascade of impacts on the Inuit of northern Labrador. Examining and understanding these impacts is the focus of this thesis. As management of wildlife in North America is to follow the Public Trust Doctrine—to manage wildlife in the public trust—this thesis helps bring the information of Inuit impacts into the discussion to help inform future best practices for more accountable, responsible, and locally responsive wildlife management efforts in the North.