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19 sub-populations world-wide

Polar bears in Nunavut: overview of research and management

Markus Dyck Polar Bear Biologist

Fur Institute of Canada, 22 June 2012

5 Polar bear nations

Russia

Norway

United States

Greenland

Canada

13 sub-populations within and shared with Canada

12 Nunavut polar bear sub-populations

Taylor et al. 2001

Nunavut Land Claim (Article 5): Implications for Wildlife Management - Inuit right to harvest - No undue restrictions on harvest - Principles of Conservation - Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Science - Co-management system Hunters Government (DOE)

Nunavut Wildlife Management Board

Polar Bear Research & Management in Nunavut

1. Population ecology 2. Co-Management

Polar Bear Research & Management in Nunavut 1. Population ecology a) Population Delineation b) Mark-recapture c) (Population Viability Analyses) d) Total Allowable Harvest e) Harvest management

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Example: Davis Strait

a) Delineation by movements

Taylor et al., 2001

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Davis Strait
b) marking, capturing, recapturing

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Bears Captured, 2005 and 2006


Labrador Nunavut Quebec Davis Strait (Total)

2005 Adult Sub-adult 34 2

2006 83 11

2005 2006 381 97 437 136

2005 2006 2005 8 5 16 8 423 104

2006 536 155

Yearling coy
All Bears

3 1
40

15 23
132

36 49
563

56 52
681

2 5
20

2 2
28

41 55
623

73 77
841
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Environment (habitat)
Labrador Nunavut Quebec Davis Strait (Total) 2005 Adult Sub-adult Yearling coy All Bears 34 2 3 1 40 2006 83 11 15 23 132 2005 381 97 36 49 563 2006 437 136 56 52 681 2005 8 5 2 5 20 2006 16 8 2 2 28 2005 423 104 41 55 623 2006 536 155 73 77 841

IQ

Sustainable level of females and males

c/d) TAH
quota Population size/ trend Past TAH

Community Future projection

RegH

SpH

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800 700 600

NWT NU

Number of bears

500
400 300 200 quota Number of bears harvested

100
0 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

Year Overview of the polar bear harvest and quotas between 1954-2011 for the Northwest Territories/Nunavut (data modified from Urquhart and Schweinsburg 1984, Lee and Taylor 1995).

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800 700 600

NWT NU

Number of bears

500
400 300 200 quota Number of bears harvested

100
0 1954 1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

Year Overview of the polar bear harvest and quotas between 1954-2011 for the Northwest Territories/Nunavut (data modified from Urquhart and Schweinsburg 1984, Lee and Taylor 1995).

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600

13000

500

12500

Number of bears

400 12000 300 11500

200
11000
PBQuota Total Harvest NU total polar bear abundance

100

10500

Harvest Season

Overview of the Nunavut polar bear quota, harvest, and estimated 17 total polar bear abundance between 2000 2011.

Total number of estimated polar bears

600

y = 0.1706x4 - 4.2295x3 + 31.99x2 - 63.11x + 388.11 R = 0.8446

13000

500

12500

Number of bears

400
y = 0.3048x4 - 7.7615x3 + 63.133x2 - 168.19x + 518.91 R = 0.8322

12000

300 11500

200
PBQuota Total Harvest NU total polar bear abundance

100

11000

10500

Harvest Season

Overview of the Nunavut polar bear quota, harvest, and estimated 18 total polar bear abundance between 2000 2011.

Total number of estimated polar bears

e) Harvest Management
COMMUNITY Lower Jaw* Ear Tag(s) Lip Tattoo(s) Baculum Hair Girth Liver Kidney Testes/ Ovaries Fat (fist-sized)

Pond Inlet Cape Dorset Clyde River Arctic Bay Iqaluit Igloolik Hall Beach Kimmirut Pangnirtung Qikiqtarjuaq Resolute Bay Sanikiluaq Grise Fiord Kugluktuk

X X X X X

X X X X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X X X

Cambridge Bay
Taloyoak Kugaaruk Gjoa Haven Arviat Rankin Repulse Bay Baker Lake Coral Harbour Chesterfield Inlet Whale Cove

X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X

X
X X X X X X X X

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80 70

Proportion of sport hunts (%)

60 50 40 30 20

USA Europe Canada

Russia
Other

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0 2008 2009 2010 2011

Harvest Seasons
20 Sport hunter country of origin for harvest seasons 2008-2011

Polar Bear Sport Hunts in Nunavut from 2001 - 2011


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Number of sport hunts

120 100 80 60

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20 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011
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Harvest Seasons

Polar Bear Defense Kills in Nunavut 2001-2011


65 60

Number of killed bears

55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Harvest Seasons

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Age determination of harvested and captured bears

dentine

cementum

5 4 2 3

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Baculum (penis bone) of harvested bears

(Dyck et al. 2004)

Baculum mass

Baculum diameter

Baculum length

250

200
150 100

50 25
20 15 10 5 0 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

10 15 20 25 30

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Hunter guide

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Polar Bear Research & Management in Nunavut

2. Co-Management - Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit & Science - Consultation and permitting

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Nunavut Land Claim Agreement


Nunavut Wildlife Management Board Regional Wildlife Organizations (3)

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated MOUs

Polar Bear Biologist

Social Science Researcher

Hunters and Trappers Organizations (28)

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Research Initiatives
new On-going Wildlife health/contaminants Feeding ecology Population estimates Movement/demographic units Stress Body condition Growth/development Population structure Ice conditions/habitat use Traditional knowledge Environmental Impact Assessments

GN, universities, other jurisdictions and government departments

> $1,000,000/year

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Kane Basin population re-assessment 2012-2013

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Baffin Bay population re-assessment 2011-13

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Non-invasive Biopsy DNA sampling

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Satellite Spot Ear Tags

Satellite collars
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Southern Hudson Bay aerial survey completion 2012

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Western Hudson Bay aerial survey 2011

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Foxe Basin aerial survey 2010-2011

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Conclusion
- General public is poorly informed

- Misinformed?
- Doomsday prophets overshadow real efforts

- Nunavut has dedicated co-management partners -> balancing system


- Adaptive system through IQ and science

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Conclusion - continued
- Intense research and monitoring program

- Effective conservation and management system -> more polar bears now than historically
- Begs the question: how many bears are enough? - Best harvest monitoring system -> example to other jurisdictions - We further developed non-invasive techniques - We will continue to manage our bears responsibly -> Nunavummiut, Canadians, world-citizens
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Acknowledgements
HTOs NWMB PCSP Environment Canada Parks Canada All other jurisdiction that share polar bears - Hunters - FIC

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The End

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Thank you

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Any Questions?
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TAH, Base Allocation,


Polar Bear Population

Community

Tags

Family Groups

Harvest 2:1 M-F

Regular or Sport hunt


Tags available to cover

Accidental kill

Defense of Life and Property kill

Illegal kill

If credits are available

Automatically applied to cover TAH reduction for coming year

1) Check credits with polar bear lab 2) Have communities agree in writing

Not enough tags, no community credits

a)

Tags will be used from next years TAH to cover kills

b)

Obtain credit(s) from other community that also harvests same population

3) Get written documents to polar bear lab to administer 45

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