Economic Valuation and Socio-Cultural Perspectives of the Estimated Harvest of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Herds
Prepared by:
InterGroup Consultants Ltd.
500-280 Smith Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1K2
Submitted to:
Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board
P.O. Box 629
Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) identified a need to update their previous economic valuation of the harvest of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou herds that took place in 1990. InterGroup Consultants Ltd. was retained by the BQCMB to update and expand the scope of the economic valuation component of the study, as well as to try and understand the social and cultural importance of the harvest of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou herds to those who rely on the resource.To meet these requirements, a two-pronged approach was employed. A conventional economic valuation was conducted to estimate the marketable value of goods produced from the estimated harvest of caribou. To supplement the economic valuation, interviews with resource harvesters were conducted to try and understand the social and cultural importance of the harvest.
The following are key results from the study:
• Total net annual value of the caribou harvest is estimated at $19.9 million.
• Nunavut accounts for 59% ($11.8 million) of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou harvest, with Manitoba accounting for the next largest share at 20% ($3.8 million). Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories follow with 17% ($3.4 million) and 4% ($0.8 million) of the total harvest, respectively.
• Of the $19.9 million value from the harvest, $15 million (76%) is estimated to be received from the Qamanirjuaq herd, and $4.8 million (24%) from the Beverly herd.
− The domestic harvest that is consumed locally accounts for 74% ($14.7 million) of the net value of the harvest. The harvest by outfitters and their clients is the second largest at approximately 21% ($4.1 million), and the commercial and licenced harvests account for the remaining 5% ($1.0 million each).
− The contribution of the Qamanirjuaq herd is approximately 72% ($10.6 million) of the total domestic harvest value with the remaining 28% ($4.1 million) from the Beverly herd.
− The Qamanirjuaq herd is the overwhelming contributor to the licenced harvest value accounting for 89% ($0.4 million), while the Beverly herd contributes the remaining 11% ($0.05 million) to this harvest activity.
− The Qamanirjuaq herd is also the overwhelming contributor to the commercial harvest value, contributing 92% ($0.5 million), while the Beverly herd contributes 8% ($0.04 million) to this harvest activity.
− The Qamanirjuaq herd contributes the greater share of value to the outfitting harvest at approximately 85% ($3.4 million), while the Beverly herd contributes the remaining 15% ($0.6 million).
• Communities on the caribou range have experienced challenges in preserving their cultural norms and practices over the years with the advent of new technologies and products to their communities.
• Harvesting caribou and activities associated with hunting caribou (e.g., ceremonies/community feasts) are viewed as integral to transferring and retaining knowledge about the traditional culture.
• Many cultural norms and practices are shared while hunting caribou such as the transmission of traditional knowledge, learning outdoor wilderness survival skills, and learning about cultural norms (principles/laws).
• The frequency of ceremonies and participation in making cultural products (i.e., arts and crafts), many of which center around the caribou, has declined in the communities in recent years. Participation in these activities was viewed by interviewees as means of community bonding in years past.
• Programs are starting to be established in the communities in an attempt to preserve/revitalize many of the cultural norms and practices that, traditionally, were part of everyday life.
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