Southern Inuit of NunatuKavut Polar Bear Management in Labrador

Each winter, polar bears arrive in NunatuKavut on drifting pack ice originating from the Davis Strait. The bears now at the southern edge of their range, move north passing through southern Inuit coastal communities.  This... [ view full abstract ]

Each winter, polar bears arrive in NunatuKavut on drifting pack ice originating from the Davis Strait. The bears now at the southern edge of their range, move north passing through southern Inuit coastal communities.  This established movement has brought southern Inuit in contact with polar bears, locally known as sea bears, for generations resulting in local non-lethal bear management practices.  Despite the lack of official recognition of this annual interaction between polar bears and people, local strategies developed over generations, provide lessons for management agencies and other regions similarly visited by polar bears.  These include observing the characteristics and behaviour of a visiting bear and its travel route, communicating with other communities regarding bear sightings, and taking actions to reduce human interactions with bears.  In one community, identified bear guards slowly guide bears away from the community or accompany them within the community to maintain a buffer between the bear and people.  In the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is listed as Vulnerable under the Endangered Species Act, and designated as a species of Special Concern under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA).  A recent project initiated by the NunatuKavut Community Council and funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, documented indigenous knowledge about polar bears in their territory.  The results will be used to inform new Provincial and Federal Polar Bear Management Plans.  Additional activities included polar bear safety workshops carried out in collaboration with an Inuk polar bear hunter from Nunatsiavut, and development of an educational poster and interaction guidelines to increase awareness and improve safety for bears and people.