June 21, 2018 (Montreal) – Following the announcement of Lac Simon Anishinabe Nation, in collaboration with the Kitcisakik and Long Point First Nations, that they will receive $1.26 million over five years from the Government of Canada to develop and implement a strategy to restore the Val-d’Or woodland caribou herd, Olivier Kolmel, Forest Campaigner for Greenpeace Canada, said:
“While the Quebec government sentenced the Val-d’Or caribou to death, today’s announcement brings us great hope. These caribou now have a chance of survival. We want to congratulate the Lac Simon Anishinabe for their leadership in preserving this herd. The pressure is now on the Couillard government to learn from this lesson and make a concrete commitment to caribou recovery.”
“Indigenous communities are at the forefront of many environmental struggles across the country, including the protection of caribou. If Canada hopes to prevent the extinction of caribou across the Boreal forest, this will require reconciliation and respect for Indigenous rights and aspirations in their territories.”
Last March, Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks claimed that the cost to restore the habitat of the last Val-d’Or caribou was too high to save this population from extinction and they were therefore condemned to disappear.
-30-
For more information:
Marie Moucarry, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Canada, 438-993-6127, [email protected]
After 5 years of delaying, provinces and territories have failed to follow through with measures to protect the boreal woodland caribou. Herds have been declining across the country at an alarming rate and may soon become extinct in some areas. Meanwhile, our federal government is not providing the leadership required to halt this crisis in the forest.