Innu nations severely criticize the Legault government, accused of preparing a real “extinction strategy” for the woodland caribou by refusing to go ahead with the protection of important sectors of the critical habitat of the cervid, in the name of the protection of the forest industry. The Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, for his part calls for “patience”, while ensuring that the “plan” for the protection of the species will be presented in June.
“It’s a real strategy of extinction. There is practically nothing for the protection of the caribou on our territory”, deplores Michael Ross, director of development and territory of the First Nation of the Innu of Essipit. “The impression they give me is that they are choosing to prioritize the forest industry to the detriment of caribou. »
He comes to this conclusion following meetings organized with government representatives in recent weeks in anticipation of the tabling of the caribou protection strategy, which is scheduled for this month. “What has been presented to us is clearly insufficient. Nothing we proposed was integrated or considered. Furthermore, it seems obvious that the recommendations made by the Independent Commission on Woodland and Mountain Caribou were not taken seriously,” summarizes Martin Dufour, Chief of the Essipit First Nation.
In particular, the Innu believe that caribou habitat protection projects are clearly insufficient to avoid the decline and disappearance of herds living on their territory, including that of the Pipmuacan.
Threatened herd
According to Mr. Ross, the government would have ruled out a project that would have made it possible to protect major forests located south of the Pipmuacan reservoir, a territory that should see the creation of a protected area of 2761 km2have already claimed the Innu. The Press reported earlier this week that the government intends to propose a 992 km project instead2 which sets aside the majority of the old forests, which constitute an essential habitat for the cervid.
However, this herd is increasingly threatened, due to the degradation of its habitat caused by logging. A situation that demonstrates the need to “review forest management so that it is truly sustainable” and that it no longer threatens biodiversity, say the Innu in their public statement. “Our territory is very degraded by roads built for the forestry industry. We therefore want to restore the caribou’s habitat and set up connectivity zones so that the animals can move around,” underlines Michael Ross.
He also insists on the cultural importance of this species for the Innu. “The protection of our culture, which is linked to the caribou, is our main concern. I would like my children and my grandchildren to be able to have this connection that their ancestors had. »
” A bit of patience “
The Innu are therefore demanding more attention from the Legault government, which has promised the tabling in June of a strategy for the protection of woodland caribou. This will be presented a little more than a year after the Trudeau government threatened to impose a decree to protect the critical habitat of the threatened cervid.
Asked Thursday morning by parliamentary journalists in Quebec, Minister Benoit Charette wanted to be reassuring about the “plan” that the government must present. “There are elements that have started to circulate, but no one has the overall picture. And above all, it’s a work that continues, “he said, promising an official announcement” somewhere in June “.
“A little patience, and we’ll be able to get back to you on this, but there is no group that can say they are wronged or completely satisfied. The plan is not completely finished, but it is a matter of a few weeks,” he added.
The woodland caribou has been on the list of threatened or vulnerable species in Quebec since 2005. In 2019, the Legault government decided to postpone the presentation of its protection “strategy” until 2022. In 2021, he finally decided to appoint an “independent commission” to carry out regional consultations. During this time, areas of the species’ habitat have been offered to the logging industry.
Protected areas
According to the Society for Nature and Parks of Quebec (SNAP), a minimum of 35,000 km2 territories should be protected so that we hope to slow the decline of the various endangered herds in Quebec.
Its director general, Alain Branchaud, therefore expects the government to demonstrate ambition. “A good caribou strategy will first and foremost have to be based on centuries of indigenous traditional knowledge and tons of scientific information currently available. The establishment of protected areas remains the most appropriate approach to meet these criteria and effectively ensure the recovery of the species,” he argued on Thursday.
In the office of federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, they say they are waiting to see the Quebec plan, which will then be analyzed “based on the obligations of the Species at Risk Act and our caribou recovery strategy. “.
“We can’t comment on a strategy we haven’t seen. We will see in due time the next steps and the actions necessary to ensure the protection and survival of the emblematic caribou in Quebec, ”we added, by email.