QUÉBEC CITY, Aug. 31, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - In July 2016, biologists from the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, in collaboration with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Environment and Conservation and a representative from the Ungava Peninsula Caribou Aboriginal Round Table (UPCART), carried out an aerial inventory of the George River caribou herd. As of this summer, the herd's size is estimated at approximately 8,900 animals.
To ensure the herd's survival in the short and longer terms, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Ungava Caribou research group have joined forces with the Québec Government to carry out and continue monitoring and research work on the migratory caribou herds in Ungava.
There are a number of factors behind the herd's gradual decline, which has been more marked since 2001. They include the deterioration of certain critical habitats, such as calving and feeding areas, due to grazing and trampling, as well as predation, disease and parasites, hunting and the impacts of territorial development.
In an attempt to address this situation, sport hunting in Québec was suspended in 2012 for an undetermined period. In addition, the Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador authorities, along with their main wildlife management partners in the areas concerned, have carried out ongoing research since 2009 to gain a better understanding of the George River herd's decline. A management and conservation plan is currently being prepared, so that steps can be taken to protect the herd.
For information on the MFFP and its activities and achievements, see mffp.gouv.qc.ca and the following social media pages:
https://www.facebook.com/ForetsFauneParcs
https://twitter.com/MFFP_Quebec
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SOURCE Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs
Source: Sylvain Carrier, Media Relations Officer, Direction des communications, Tel.: 418 627-8609, ext. 3021
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