Fewer Manitoba hunters able to hunt moose after province limits big game licensing in some areas

After the Manitoba government released its moose and elk huntingdraw results on Friday, some First Nations leaders and hunting advocates say they have concerns with the province's decision to limit the number of licences and tags to harvestmoose in parts of the north this year.

The number of moose draw licences has been reduced by 75 per cent in four of Manitoba's 62game hunting areas, which the province said in a Thursday news release was intended tohelp balance population sustainability and the needs of harvesters while still offering hunting opportunities.

The affected game hunting areas run along the northern Interlake, the northwest shore of Lake Winnipeg and extend north to the area surrounding Thompson.

Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation said he thinks the province isn't doing enough to honour and respect Indigenous treaty rights, and that hunting licences shouldn't be issued to non-Indigenous hunters and non-residents who wish to hunt in Pimicikamakterritory.

"We hunt moose for our subsistence, to ensure that we have good quality meat for our people and stuff like that. I mean, it's a part of our health, right? And [it's] part of our diet and we want to continue to do that," Moniastold guest host Cory Funkon CBC's Radio Noon program on Friday.

"If you start having so many people hunting and trapping in our areas, then they're going to diminish the moose population."

The province announced last month the results for moose and elk draws, in which non-Indigenous hunters are granted permission to hunt,would be delayed by a few weeks. The province didn't explain the reason for the delay.

That was two days afterManitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which advocates for 26 First Nations in northern Manitoba, includingPimicikamak First Nation,said ittold government ministers to stopissuing licences to non-Indigenous hunterswithout first ensuring First Nations people have harvestedenough forfood and ceremonial purposes.

In a June Facebook post, MKOaccused the provinceof dismissing its constitutional obligation to recognize thatFirst Nations people have priority rights to hunt, fish, trap and gather for food.

It called on theprovince to "immediatelyterminate the draw for Manitoba resident hunter licences in the specific game hunting areas where First Nations traditionally hunt, and to cease enforcement of Manitoba regulations against First Nation hunters."

Earlier this week, theprovince said in a post on its website that while Manitoba manages the moose population for all its residents, it also must "prioritize rights-based harvesters as per their constitutionally protected treaty and Aboriginal rights."

No change has been madeto the elk draw, according to Thursday's government news release.

On Friday, Moniasdescribedthe moose population as a "little low." While he didn't have specific numbers on how many moose there are in the area, he said some Indigenous hunters have noticed a scarcity and have been unsuccessful in their efforts.

No scientific data, says wildlife federation

Chris Heald, a senior policy adviser with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, said he doesn't understand how the province came to its decision without any scientific data, including a population assessment.

Speaking onCBC's Radio Noon on Friday, Heald saidhe agrees Indigenous hunters should have first priority to the resource, but he argues it should notbe an exclusive right.

"The sustainability of the resource has to come first, right? Doesn't matter if it's moose, fish, forestry. There's one resource and all Manitobans must share in that resource," Heald said.

Similar to non-Indigenous licensed hunters, Heald said Indigenous hunters should be required to report their harvest and sustenance needs, so conservation organizations have an estimate on the moose population, which would inform a general management approach for future generations.

LISTEN | Pimicikamakchief,Wildlife Federationonbig game draws:

Radio Noon Manitoba12:34Fewer hunters will be allowed to hunt moose in parts of northern Manitoba this year

Big game draw results are out. Guest host Cory Funk spoke with David Monias, chief of Pimicikimak Cree Nation, and Chris Heald, senior policy advisor with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, about some of the tensions regarding the province's handling of moose tags.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation, which defends the interests of licensed hunters, has been pushing for a shared management approach on natural resources for more than a decade that would include the provincial government, First Nations leaders and the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association, Heald said.

He warned that if multiple parties aren't at the table to make decisions together,the moose population will be"doomed," and other species could be at risk.

The federation'sboard of directors has instructed its legal counsel to proceed with an application for ajudicial review of the province's decision to reduce the number of licences, which could potentially see the decision overturned in court.