Wildlife
The Mi’gmaq of Gespe’gewa’gi know that our territory would be incomplete without the diverse wildlife that live here.
Gespe’gewa’gi covers over 53,000 square kilometres, of which 71% is Crown land. And, within this area are some of the greatest numbers and varieties of wildlife in all of Canada. We have an obligation to make sure the animals we share our land with are managed in a sustainable way, so that wildlife flourish for generations to come.
Here are some facts about wildlife within Québec:
- Parks, recreation and wildlife activities in Gespe’gewa’gi generate $36,000,000 in revenue annually to the Quebec government and support 400 non Mi’gmaq jobs and 50 Mi’gmaq jobs,
- some of the species most frequently hunted in Québec for meat these days include caribou, white-tailed deer, moose, black bear, and wild turkey,
- in addition to hunting, many species are trapped in Québec for their pelts. Some of these include weasels, beaver, coyote, squirrels, wolf, otter, lynx, marten, skunk and black bear, among many others,
- pelt sales in Québec alone number in the thousands, with beaver at nearly 40,000 pelts sold in 2010-2011,
- sales of muskrat pelts lead the way in Québec in the last twelve months, amounting to nearly 70,000 sold,
- Québec wants to change its Bear Management Plan from one fall season to one late summer season plus one spring season, perhaps putting a greater burden ontthe bear population,
- there is wide commercialization of selling bear gallbladders,
- Québec is legalizing the use of hounds in bear hunting.
Clearly, there is growing commercial value and profit in hunting, trapping and selling the parts of wildlife. The Mi’gmaq want to be consulted with respect to Québec’s long-term wildlife protection and sustainability plan. We seek to be accommodated for the commercial gains from exploiting Gespe’gewa’gi species.
