ACCWM Update: Action Planning for Bluenose Caribou Herds

In November 2014, the Advisory Committee for Cooperation on Wildlife Management (ACCWM) submitted a Management Plan for the Cape Bathurst, Bluenose-West and Bluenose-East caribou herds.   Action planning is the next step in the management planning process for the herds.  The Bluenose-East caribou action plan is nearly complete, and the Bluenose-West and Cape Bathurst action plans will be worked on once the Bluenose-East plan is completed. 

Once completed, the Action plans will outline the actions to be taken to help the herd and how they will be put into place.  Deciding which actions to take and when will depend on how a particular herd is doing –its status.  Herd size and trend (i.e. whether the herd is increasing or decreasing) are important factors for determining a herd’s status.  Other information from harvesters and scientists on the caribou and their habitat is also used.  For example, the body condition and health of the caribou,  and availability of the plants that caribou eat are other sources of useful information.  

The Management Plan describes a herd’s status with one of four colour zones, each with recommended management actions. 

Green zone – The population level is high

Yellow zone – The population level is intermediate and increasing.

Orange zone – The population level is intermediate and decreasing

Red Zone – The population level is low

Each zone will act as a threshold to trigger and guide management decisions and actions based on herd status.   Depending on the specific circumstances of a herd, some of the management actions recommended to help the herd may include those for a different colour.   The Plan includes recommendations for harvest management, predators, land use, habitat, and education. 

In December 2015, the ACCWM reviewed the 2015 caribou population estimates and assessed the status of each of the Bluenose herds.  Currently, the Cape Bathurst is in the Red zone, the Bluenose-West herd is in the Orange zone (with some Red management actions), and the Bluenose-East herd is in the Orange zone.  An example of an Orange management action is a recommendation that key habitat areas be identified and protected to ensure that enough good habitat is available to caribou. 

After an Action Plan is in place, the ACCWM will assess that particular herd again in a year’s time, and adjust the Action Plan as needed to reflect the current status of the herd.  The Action Plans are intended to be in place for three to five years—but can be changed before then if the status of the herd changes.

What Happens Next?

Once the three separate Action Plans are finalized, they will be presented to the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Government of Nunavut and other Aboriginal governments with authority in the Bluenose caribou herds’ ranges.

Fact Box:

• Taking Care of Caribou:  The Cape Bathurst, Bluenose-West and Bluenose-East Barren-Ground Caribou Herds Management Plan addresses long-term management and stewardship of the Bluenose caribou herds.  The Plan’s purpose is to develop a cooperative approach to managing the Bluenose caribou herds, protecting the habitat in the herds’ range, and making decisions on the shared harvests in an open and fair manner.
• Two companion documents accompany the draft plan --a science report detailing the current state of knowledge of the herds and a community report on information recorded during community meetings. 
• This Management Plan is the result of a five-year planning process that involved the 17 communities that harvest the Bluenose caribou herds.
• The ACCWM was established to share information and coordinate wildlife management for shared species, particularly species that cross land claim and treaty boundaries.  It is made up of six wildlife management boards, including the WRRB.
• The results of population surveys conducted by Environment and Natural Resources, GNWT in 2015 indicate that the Bluenose-East caribou herd has continued to decline.  The results also indicate a further decline in the number of breeding females, a key indicator of herd health.