A new report on Dolphin and Union caribou shows how conservation and management actions have intensified over the last five years, as the species faces steep declines and changes to its distribution in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Nunavut.
The Progress Report on the Management of Dolphin and Union Caribou was released earlier this week by the Conference of Management Authorities in coordination with the Government of Nunavut and other wildlife management partners in the NWT and Nunavut.
The report details the extensive action taken across both territories from 2018-2022 to implement the Management Plan for Dolphin and Union Caribou, from population surveys and community-based monitoring, to coordinated management of Arctic ship traffic and harvest restrictions.
Dolphin and Union caribou are currently listed as a species of Special Concern in both the NWT and Canada—the lowest level of risk for a listed species. However, the NWT Species at Risk Committee recently assessed them as Endangered in the NWT, meaning Dolphin and Union are facing imminent extinction if threats cannot be mitigated.
Progress reporting is required every five years under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act. This is the first progress report for Dolphin and Union caribou.
