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Southern Lakes Caribou Recovery Program Progress Report: 1992-1996

The Future

The Southern Lakes Caribou Recovery Program owes its promising start to the commitment of the local residents and First Nations who initiated it. The agreement among the six First Nations to voluntarily stop their hunting of caribou, and the cooperation among these and the Yukon and B.C. governments mark a unique and encouraging beginning to the co-management of resources in the Yukon as native land claims are settled. The direct involvement of the communities in starting and carrying out this program, and the incorporation of traditional knowledge with scientific data, set important precedents for the way in which resource management needs to proceed in the future.

While the latest survey results are encouraging, there still remains a great deal of work to be done before we can be confident of a lasting recovery of the caribou. The Southern Lakes caribou herd shares its range with 24,000 people in 4 communities, thousands of dogs and snowmobiles, 6 major highways, and a maze of trails and secondary roads. There is ever increasing pressure for more development in the region. To ensure a secure future for the caribou, not only must the animals themselves be protected right now, but their long-term needs for habitat must be considered in land use planning as well.

Why Care?

Why should we care about these caribou? Firstly, the very accessibility of this herd that makes it so vulnerable also makes it potentially one of our greatest assets. Few sights are more inspiring to visitors in the north than large herds of caribou, and viewing opportunities of a restored herd would be excellent. Caribou are a major part of the history and lore of the Yukon. They are also an integral part of the natural ecosystem of the north. Finally, caribou have traditionally been a staple source of food, and are of significant cultural and spiritual importance to First Nations.

In April of 1996, members of the community, First Nations, and biologists will again meet in a workshop to assess the Recovery Program's progress thus far, and plan for the future. With continued success, all hope that the great herds of caribou which were such a central feature of the southern Yukon can once again be restored.