Monday February 12, 2001

Share This Story With A Friend

Animal rights fears help Nunavut reaffirm refusal of harpoon polar bear hunt

IQALUIT, Nunavut (CP) - Concerns over image and public safety have caused the Nunavut government to reaffirm its refusal to allow an Inuk man to hunt a polar bear with a harpoon. "It's a new world now, a modern world, and we have to look at other issues," said Oyaluk Akesuk, the territory's minister of sustainable development. Noah Kadlak, 33, an experienced hunter from Coral Harbour, asked in 1997 for permission to stage a traditional Inuit polar hunt using dogs and a harpoon. The hunt was to be filmed by a Toronto production company. In January a court ruled that Akesuk's concern didn't justify denying Kadlak a permit for the unusual hunt. But last week, after consulting with a group of 11 elders, Akesuk decided his refusal would stand. Safety was given as the main reason, even though hunters with rifles would have backed up Kadlak. But Akesuk acknowledged he was concerned that a film showing the slow, bloody death of a harpooned polar bear would damage Nunavut's public image - and market for polar bear skins. "When they see this, they won't want to buy the polar bear skins," he said. Akesuk fears animal rights activists might do to Nunavut's polar bear hunt what they did to sealing in Newfoundland. "That's the one that made us worry." Just last week, British Columbia announced a three-year moratorium on grizzly bear hunting so populations could be accurately assessed. But critics say the government caved to provincial and international anti-hunt campaigns by environmental and animal rights groups. Between 500 and 600 bears are shot every year in Nunavut for food and clothing. Many are taken by sport hunters who take the skins back home, and Akesuk doesn't want to see that important industry dry up. In a traditional hunt, dogs harry the bear to keep it immobile and tire it out. The hunter then walks up to the bear and thrusts his spear into its heart. A male polar bear is the world's largest land predator, weighing up to 700 kilograms, and is capable of running a kilometre in less than a minute. The bears are strong enough to pull a 30-centimetre-wide seal through a 10-centimetre hole in the ice as easily as pulling a napkin through a ring. The decision has upset Nunavut Tunngavik, the group that oversees the Nunavut land claim, Canada's largest. "Minister Akesuk has made no attempt to consult either with NTI, the organization responsible for protecting Inuit rights, or with Nunavut Wildlife Management Board," said vice-president James Eetoolook. A Nunavut Tunngavik spokesman said the group was examining legal options concerning Akesuk's decision. Ben Kovic, head of the wildlife management board, said Kadlak's application was widely supported in his community. He wonders if Akesuk's decision could mean Inuit will eventually be forbidden to use harpoons for seal hunting. "If the minister uses some of these so-called acceptable standards, he's putting some of our hunting methods in question." Akesuk denied that was his motivation. He acknowledged a harpoon can quickly and humanely dispatch a seal. "You can kill a seal (with a harpoon) in no time. A seal is not a big challenge. On a polar bear, you can't do that."

© The Canadian Press, 2001

Copyright 2001 Ottawa Citizen Group Inc.