Quebec delays the transfer of northern caribou to Val-d’Or for a year

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A camera allows you to observe the caribou in each of the three feeders and the telemetry collar to locate them. (Archive photo)

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The Ministry of the Environment , of the fight against climate change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) is postponing for one year its operation aimed at capturing six caribou in a northern population to introduce them into the population of Val-d'Or. /p>

The Anishnabe community of Lac-Simon denounces this other delay and believes that it is high time for the federal government to get involved.

The operation should take place between March 15 and 31 and aimed to increase growth potential within the Val-d'Or herd. The MELCCFP wanted to address issues of genetic diversity to increase births.

Following discussions with various community partners on the project, it was agreed to postpone the project for one year, in order to continue discussions to better integrate their concerns and consolidate the project, explains the ministry through email without providing further explanation.

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The chief of Lac-Simon, Lucien Wabanonik, denounces this new delay. (File photo)

We are really disappointed, I would even say sometimes discouraged, by Quebec's stubbornness in always postponing their strategy on the caribou issue, says the leader of the Anishnabe community of Lac-Simon, Lucien Wabanonik, who assures that he is not part of partners having been consulted.

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It’s high time things changed. It’s as if we were waiting for the imminent death of these animals. Quebec is stretching the sauce, but perhaps that’s their strategy, that’s what we take away from it. It’s discouraging and sad at the same time, adds Lucien Wabanonik.

We were not consulted, so we are not considered a partner by the ministry, adds Henri Jacob, president of Action boréale.

On March 18, the federal Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault, demanded a caribou protection strategy by May 1. Ottawa retains the right to intervene by emergency decree or by decree to protect the critical habitat of deer.

Seems like we just want to save time. A little announcement like that, to go and find six caribou, no plan with it and there it's not surprising that we are told that now we don't do it anymore, I would be curious to know who the partners they are consulted, adds Henri Jacob, who also believes that the federal government should intervene.

(With information from David Rémillard)

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