We would like to thank Philippe Mercure for his excellent editorial published in Press last November 22. 2 The text accurately reports the information we had transmitted to it. This information is based on research that we have been doing for more than 15 years on woodland caribou.
In his text of November 26, Jean-François Samray, of the Quebec Forest Industry Council (CIFQ), questions certain information reported in Philippe Mercure’s editorial. Mr. Samray seems to claim that the precariousness of woodland caribou populations in Quebec is the result of an amalgamation of factors, including hunting, urban sprawl, climate change, disease, predation and forest roads. It seems essential to us to clarify the situation.
Woodland caribou populations are declining, although sport hunting has been banned in Quebec for 20 years. The majority of indigenous communities have also stopped hunting them so as not to accentuate the decline.
Caribou populations are currently established far enough from cities to avoid the effects of urban sprawl. Despite intensive research over the past 20 years, no study has identified disease and parasitism as factors influencing woodland caribou populations in Quebec. The fact that the boundaries of ecological zones are gradually moving northward certainly does not imply that climate change has contributed to the decline of caribou populations. In fact, our work indicates that, if the current harvest level is maintained, the effect of timber harvesting on caribou will far exceed that of climate change.
A close link
We should not suggest that the causes of the current decline in caribou populations are ambiguous. Research shows a strong link between the extent of disturbance caused by logging, the rate of predation and the decline of woodland caribou populations. On the one hand, the rejuvenation of the forest by cutting benefits the black bear, a predator of caribou fawns. Moose also benefit from particularly abundant food in young forests, and the growth of its populations allows an increase in the density of wolves. Wolves attack both fawns and adults. On the other hand, the road network increases the efficiency of predator hunting. The fact that the roads find a good number of users, as Mr. Samray points out, clearly does not reduce their impact on caribou.
We believe that it is essential to find solutions to restore woodland caribou populations, as required by law, while continuing to harvest natural resources essential to Quebecers. In this regard, research plays a fundamental role. However, we should not be led to believe that a lack of knowledge justifies delays in the implementation of the actions necessary for the preservation of the woodland caribou.