NR 06-12 SEC ENG Wildlife Secretariat.doc

(March 29, 2006 – Rankin Inlet, Nunavut) Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. 2nd Vice-President Raymond Ningeocheak announced today that a series of training workshops hosted by the Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat for Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) managers in all three regions were successful.

Nunavut Harvester Support Program (NHSP) officials co-hosted the training workshops to ensure HTO managers run NHSP initiatives efficiently.

Issues addressed during the three workshops included NHSP initiatives, proposed Wildlife Act regulations, polar bear quotas, issues related to Nunavut’s bowhead whale harvest, upcoming research projects, and HTO bylaws and manager salaries and benefits.

Ningeocheak noted that a major matter discussed during the workshop was the development of two new regional liaison positions within the Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat.

Since creating the Wildlife Secretariat last year, we established our main office in Rankin Inlet and staffed the lead position. We are now in the process of hiring regional staff in the Kitikmeot and the Baffin regions. We are officially one step closer to assisting with the operation, management and program delivery of the territory’s wildlife issues, said Ningeocheak.

Ningeocheak said this was important because when the Wildlife Act comes fully into force, more responsibility for wildlife issues will be handed to Regional Wildlife Organizations (RWOs) and HTOs.

The Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat was established last year to provide a support network for RWOs and HTOs. Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat employees report to the Wildlife Policy Advisory Committee (WPAC). WPAC members include NTI and the RWOs.

For further information:

Kerry McCluskey
Director of Communications
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Tel: (867) 975-4914 Toll-free: 1-888-646-0006