The N.W.T is banning hunting in the Bathurst caribou's winter range to try and slow the herd's decline. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)Declining caribou herds have led the Northwest Territories government to ban all caribou hunting in the Bathurst Caribou herd's winter range.

According to the government's count, the Bathurst herd declined from 186,000 in 2003 to just 32,000 this year.

“It’s a very steep drop in three years, so that was the initial red flag — the herd is in the red zone, in terms of danger for survival,” N.W.T. Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger said Friday from Copenhagen, where he is attending the UN climate summit.

The hunting ban applies to both aboriginal and non-aboriginal hunters, and the no-hunting zone includes most of the central part of the territory, from the north shore of Great Slave Lake to the boundary with Nunavut.

The new restrictions come into effect Jan. 1.

In addition, Miltenberger already planned to ban all non-aboriginal, commercial and sport hunts of the Bathurst caribou.

Miltenberger said the emergency measures were necessary because of the herd’s declining numbers.

“When we announced the survey results, we indicated that there had to be some remedial action in place by the end of December, before the start of the winter hunting season because we did not believe the herd could sustain another year of hunting as usual," Miltenberger said.

The Bathurst herd is not the only one whose numbers falling. Scientists have suggested nine of Canada's 11 barren-ground caribou herds are in decline.

Researchers suspect one herd, the adjacent Beverly herd, has virtually disappeared despite numbering 280,000 animals only 15 years ago.

N.W.T. government offers funding for caribou outfitters

The drastic decline in caribou numbers is also affecting the caribou outfitting industry, because the number of hunting tags available to outfitters has been scaled back

The government is trying to offset this by making $150,000 available to outfitters to help them diversify their business and market themselves.

“We are looking at helping them improve on their marketing, improve their websites,” said Industry and Tourism Minister Bob McLeod, adding that the money is meant to help outfitters adjust to a changing business environment.

Malcolm Jaeb, a third-generation outfitter, said he’s worried about his business, True North Safaris. He said the decrease in caribou tags has forced him to move into aurora-viewing, black bear and bison hunting.

“With everything that is happening in the north right now its hard to say whether you are going to get any hunters anymore,” Jaeb said.

with files from The Canadian Press