Following up on yesterdays caribou hunt ban, some news stories on same.

Justice minister Darrin King said *Anyone found in violation of the hunting ban will face fines and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, says Justice Minister Darin King. The ban will be reassessed after two years*

Being ever the skeptic I wonder what is realy going on here, or is it a genuine attempt to protect a species at risk. 

Three ministers to announce something like this has to be an anomaly.

Does the province have the will plus resources both in people and equipment, not to mention fiscal, to follow up on the threat to prosecute all and sundry.

Another issue, a very serious one, is the groups over in Quebec, what will happen over there. There are some sub group herds in the western part of Quebec, but for generations parts of the George River herd has sauntered through some of the communities on a yearly basis. Maybe that has changed with the decline, but we still need to hear from the Inuit, the Innu the Cree and the Quebec Government one would think.

Here is a link to some press releases issued by the NL Government over the past 9 years, Stop or we will say Stop again. 
Not very encouraging is it?

Update: I guess the highlight of the CBC Labrador mornings news was news briefs of the chief of Natuashish  saying he is not going to stop hunting. A link to a story here but nothing of length available yet.

SimeonTshakapesh said that he is not going to stop hunting as it is their right. He went on to allude (paraphrased) to mining and exploration being the main factor in the decline of the herd. He said if there is a moratorium on minning and exploration for five years then he will not hunt for five years. 

Wow, that would put a hole in the quarterly cash payouts to individual Innu plus what goes to the bands under IBAs.

The fine folk of the business communty in Goose Bay must be shoveling down the Alka-Seltzer after hearing that declaration.

Things are getting down and dirty on the inter tubes.  I garnered from Twitter that Randy Simms of VOCM call in show called Simeon Tshakapesh an arse hole and hung up on him. 

Meantime of Facebook many are outraged at the Innu approach to the caribou. 

Here are a couple of updated stories on the goings on.  

And an another view from Labrador.