Any proposal to revise the system of walrus management has to consider the views of Nunavummiut, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), and the best available scientific knowledge. The Walrus Working Groups are therefore made up of representatives from Hunters’ & Trappers’ Organizations (HTOs), Regional Wildlife Organizations (RWO), Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and the NWMB. Elders, industry partners, or staff from other government departments may be invited to attend meetings.
The Foxe Basin Walrus Working Group
The mandate of the Foxe Basin Walrus Working Group includes the North and Central Foxe Basin walrus stocks, and includes representatives from both Hall Beach and Igloolik HTOs.
The group has recently been involved in the production of a map identifying ecologically significant areas for these walrus stocks based on traditional ecological knowledge from IQ holders in these communities. These maps are being considered alongside other types of traditional knowledge and the best available scientific information in developing an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for the walrus of Foxe Basin. The plan will be presented in a draft form to the communities for their input before it is brought to the NWMB for review and approval.
The Baffin Bay Walrus Working Group
The mandate of the Baffin Bay Walrus Working Group includes the West Jones Sound, Penny Strait-Lancaster Sound, and Baffin Bay Walrus Stocks in the high Arctic, and includes representative from the HTOs in Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord, Pond Inlet, and Resolute Bay.
Like the Foxe Basin Walrus Working Group, that of Baffin Bay is working towards the development and implementation of an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan. Meetings and consultations in each of the affected communities increase the amount of traditional and current knowledge that is available to be included in the plan, and provide an opportunity for local input regarding prioritizing management goals and objectives.