torngat mountains caribou - cccpp-hftcc. · pdf fileaaron dale, torngat secretariat and eric...
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Aaron Dale, Torngat Secretariat
and
Eric Andersen, Torngat Wildlife and Plants Co-
Management Board
and
Serge Couturier, Ph.D., caribou biologist
Collaborators: Bryn Wood and Jennifer Mitchell Foley
Torngat Mountains Caribou
Overview
• What’s been done
• What we know
• What we think
• What we don’t know
• How we plan to learn
• What we can do
• What we should do
• Caribou herds overlap partially their annual range in Québec-Labrador
Peninsula like elsewhere in North America.
• Migratory caribou herds are distinct biological units.
- Use of traditional calving grounds over centuries.
ex. George River herd existence has been confirmed for the
last 2 centuries from oral tradition and written documents.
• Limited emigration have been reported between caribou herds:
ex. 9% of George River females switched calving grounds with
Leaf River herd from 1986 to 2003 (Boulet et al. 2007)
Some caribou ecology concepts
and management implications
• The ecotype concept was first used by Bergerud (1988):
- migratory: use tundra and boreal forest, long migration
- sedentary: use only boreal forest, short migration
• Another ecotype has been identified:
- montane: use alpine habitat, short migration. Ex. Gaspésie and Torngat
What’s Been Done
2. Space use and annual range
3. Genetic difference
• Is Torngat caribou different from the sedentary caribou living in
Southern Labrador and Québec?
4. Body size
5. Movement
Scientific monitoring since the 1970s:
1. Reconnaissance surveys
• Is Torngat caribou different from George River caribou?
• Le Henaff (1975) did the first aerial survey of the Torngat caribou herd
- “From Port Nouveau Québec to Abloviak Fjord... small groups of
caribou on all islands and near the coast of Ungava Bay...”
What’s Been Done
- 1. Reconnaissance Survey
• Bélanger and Le Henaff (1985) wrote about the Torngat caribou: - “In 1980, a reconnaissance survey indicated that the herd contained approximately 5,000 individuals. Although little information is available, it would seem that a group other than that of the George River is involved here.”
What’s Been Done
- 1. Reconnaissance Survey
Source: Boulet et al. 2007
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
1986-2003
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
• Stuart Luttich from LWD did the first radio-tracking of the Torngat caribou
- 8 collars have been deployed opportunistically from 1988 to 1995
Mean: 732 days Low survival!
No Age/ Sex Capture Death
Number
of days
Cause of
death
TG8801 Adult female 9/11/1988 2/3/1992 1209 Wolf
TG9001 Adult female 23/10/1990 9/5/1991 198 Wolf
TG9002 Adult female 7/11/1990 19/1/1991 73 Inuit hunting
TG9101 Adult female 14/5/1991 20/6/1991 37 Black bear
TG9102 Adult female 13/11/1991 6/1/1993 420 Wolf
TG9103 Adult female 20/5/1991 12/6/1995 1484 ?
TG9104 Adult female 19/6/1991 16/8/1997 2250 ?
TG9301 Adult female 27/6/1993 28/7/1993 31 ?
TG9501 Adult female 15/6/1995 15/11/1997 884 Wolf
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Schaefer and Luttich 1998
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Study done by Québec Government and Makivik
March 1997
• Study goals: Confirm the distinctiveness of the Torngat Herd
• Following a request by the mayor, an emergency meeting was held
in February 1997 with local representatives and hunters from
Kangiqsualujjuaq:
- Radio-collaring project was rapidly approved
• Commercial harvest in Kangiqsualujjuaq by Nunavik Arctic Foods:
- 1994-1995: 25 caribou
- 1995-1996: 689 caribou
• Fears were expressed that the commercial harvest did not target the
large George River herd as planned but instead the small Torngat
herd.
Study done by Québec Government and Makivik
March 1997 to 1999 • Due to limited funding and urgency to proceed, only 4 radio-
collars were deployed on adult female caribou (a fifth collar was
stolen by dogs during pre-deployment test)
Mean: 338 days
No Age/ Sex Capture Death
Number
of days
Cause of
death
97031301 Adult Female 22/3/1997 7/9/1997 169 Inuit hunting
97031302 Adult Female 22/3/1997 5/5/1998 409 Inuit hunting
97031303 Adult Female 25/3/1997 10/5/1997 46 Black bear
97031304 Adult Female 25/3/1997 21/3/1999 726 Wolf
Very low survival!
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Couturier, S., unpubl. data, Québec Gov. & Makivik
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Couturier, S., unpubl. data, Québec Gov. & Makivik
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Couturier, S., unpubl. data, Québec Gov. & Makivik
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: Couturier, S., unpubl. data, Québec Gov. & Makivik
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
• Radio-collaring project: Qc Gov., NF & L Gov. and Torngat Secretariat
- 10 collars have been deployed in March and April 2011
Mean: 337 days
(5 still alive) Very low survival!
No Age/ Sex Capture Death
Number
of days
Cause of
death
2011015 Adult female 22/3/2011 13/7/2012 479 Alive
2011016 Adult male 22/3/2011 4/7/2012 470 Dead: cause?
2011017 Adult female 22/3/2011 12/7/2012 478 Alive
2011018 Adult male 22/3/2011 6/9/2011 168 Inuit hunting
2011019 Adult female 22/3/2011 15/7/2012 481 Alive
2011020 Adult female 22/3/2011 17/7/2012 483 Alive
2011021 Adult female 22/3/2011 2/11/2011 225 Dead: cause?
2011024 Adult female 21/4/2011 4/7/2011 74 Dead: cause?
2011025 Adult female 21/4/2011 18/7/2012 454 Alive
2011026 Adult female 22/4/2011 20/6/2011 59 Dead: cause?
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 2. Space use and annual range
Source: unpubl. data
What’s Been Done
- 3. Genetic difference
Source: Boulet et al. 2005, 2007
Lac
JosMealy
Red
WineJam�sie Torngat
Leaf
River
George
River
Lac Jos 0,028 0,018 0,029 0,017 0,017 0,015
Mealy 0,037 0,048 0,040 0,038 0,025
Red Wine 0,042 0,022 0,029 0,021
Jam�sie 0,027 0,032 0,026
Torngat 0,005 0,001
Leaf River = 0,002
George River = =
Conclusion:
1. Torngat is genetically different from the 4 sedentary herds
2. Torngat is NOT genetically different from the 2 migratory herds
What’s Been Done
- 4. Body size
Source: Couturier et al. 2010
Ecotype Herd Hindleg Girth Body length
Migratory
George (n=344) 55.6 114.0 186.6
Leaf (n=104) 55.6 108.6 184.2
Montane
Torngat (n=14) 53.6 122.4 200.3
Sedentary
Mealy (n=27) 59.6 123.5 208.1
Red Wine (n=42) 60.6 124.2 209.2
Lac Jos (n=38) 61.6 117.3 205.6
Jamésie (n=24) 61.5 119.9 200.9
Conclusion:
1. Torngat is different in size and shape from the 2 other ecotypes.
What’s Been Done
- 5. Movements
Source: Couturier et al. 2010
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Leaf George Torngat Red Wine Lac Jos
Movem
en
t (km
/day)
Winter
Rest of the year
Daily movement rate of adult females by herd and season
What’s Been Done
- Discussions and planning since 2009
What We Know
• Torngat Caribou are different than other caribou
• Torngat caribou are hunted
• Torngat Caribou are regionally important for food security
• People are concerned that there are fewer than there were
• Torngat Caribou share range with George River Caribou
• Where they were
• Where they are
What We Think
• Mortality is high
• Predation is high
• Similar drivers as George and Leaf
• Distribution is changing
• Smaller group sizes
• Fewer stags
• The population is declining and very low
What We Don’t Know
• How many there are
• How many there were
• How many are hunted
• Where they are hunted
• Calf survival
• Adult mortality
• Body condition
• Pregnancy rate
How we hope to Learn
• Through partnership
• Telemetry
• Survey
• Harvest survey and harvest returns
• Traditional knowledge
What we can do
• Nothing
• Delay action
• Take Action
– Predator control program, and/or;
– Stewardship and education, and/or;
– Restrict or redistribute harvest pressure through:
a) A Total Allowable Harvest b) Sex Selection
c) Closed Areas d) Gear Restrictions
e) Closed Seasons
f) Trip Limits
g) Other
What we should do
Conservation:
“the management of Wildlife, including the management of human activities in relation to them,
to foster Sustainable Utilization and maintenance of natural populations, biodiversity and
ecological processes.” (Part 12.1, Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement)
Precautionary Principle:
“if there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to Wildlife, measures to prevent the
reduction or loss of the Wildlife should not be postponed for lack of full scientific certainty.”
(Part 12.1, Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement)
Thank You