'It's just a matter of time': dire warning on illegal caribou hunt in Labrador

A recently retired conservation officer in Labrador predictsa caribou herd in the province will soon vanish if the province doesn't change its tactics to deal with continued illegal hunts.

"If nothing changes, it's just a matter of time, and not a long time, before they're gone totally," saidFrank Phillips aboutthe herd of caribou living inthe BirchyLakes area of Labrador.

Phillips, who retired in 2013, estimatesthere are about 40 caribou left in the herd asubgroup of the Mealy Mountainherd.

Four animals of thegroupare alleged to have been shot in Oct.by three Innu hunters from the Pakua Shipi band of Quebec,who were arrested and charged by fish and wildlife enforcement officers.

Enforcement efforts 'powerless'

The Octoberincident is the latest in a string of illegal caribouhunts in Labrador.

• Justice officials investigating possible illegal caribou hunt
• Quebec Innu take responsibility for hunt

"The province seems to be fairly powerless at stopping it," Phillips told Labrador Morning.

Phillips said current enforcement tactics are clearly not working.

"If you keep on doing same thing for decade after decadeand nothing changes. Well, maybe you better change what you're doing."

"It can't get any worse, this steady confrontation, and every year it keeps going on and on and on," said Phillips, who added such confrontations often include firearms and can prove dangerous.

"Some of the people that you're confronting feel they have every right to be doing what they're doing."

Land claim negotiations

Phillips said it's time to acknowledge the Innu'sright to the area of Labrador in question.

"There's no doubt about their land,their lawyer said it's their place, they've been there for thousands of years,everybody knows that," said Phillips.

"But the province has a long history, whether it's with our own Innu, or with those Innu,of ignoring this,or being ignorant of it."

He urged the province to consider land claimnegotiations in Labradorwith the Quebec Innu,"with conservation being a kingpin, or a main point of those negotiations."

"Idon't know if it'll work out or not,but Iknow what hasn't worked out is what's been going on for decades now. Maybe it's time to try something different."