Northern Initiatives

In addition to ongoing roles and responsibilities, Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) programs support a number of northern initiatives.

Land Claims and Wildlife Co-Management Boards

Virtually all of the NWT and Nunavut are subject to comprehensive land claims by aboriginal peoples (Figure 1). The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was concluded in 1984, the Gwich'in Final Agreement in 1992, the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement in 1993 and the Sahtu Final Agreement in 1994. Negotiations with respect to outstanding land claims are ongoing in the southwestern NWT. CWS participates in main table and land selection negotiations and also implements various legal and administrative obligations arising from the completed land claims. CWS is an active member of the wildlife management boards set up under each of the different land claims.

North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP)

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan is an international action plan to conserve migratory birds throughout the continent. The Plan's goal is to return waterfowl populations to healthy long-term levels by conserving important habitat and improving the knowledge base up which conservation decisions are made. "Joint Ventures" - partnerships among private organizations, individuals and government agencies - are the primary vehicle for accomplishing NAWMP objectives. In Canada, there are several joint ventures. Northern-related Joint Ventures are the Arctic Goose and Seaduck Joint Ventures.

Northern Ecosystem Initiative (NEI)

The NEI is an Environment Canada (EC) initiative intended to facilitate coordinated action to identify and address common priority issues that relate to the health and sustainability of northern communities and ecosystems. NEIs principal areas of interest are: climate change, contaminants, capacity building, ecological monitoring, and impacts of resource use activities.

Northern Contaminants Program (NCP)

Through the NCP, CWS has provided information on the acceptability of wild foods, including migratory birds, for human consumption. The identification, geographical distribution, temporal trends and effects of persistent organic contaminants and heavy metals in polar bears and sea ducks have also been extensively studied.

Arctic Council (AC)

The Arctic Council was established in 1996 as a high level forum to promote cooperation among the Arctic States, with involvement of the Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants, on common issues, particularly sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. Five Working Groups support the Council, including one which addresses the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF). CWS is active in the CAFF Program.

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