The Federal Subsistence Board unanimously opposed two special action requests June 8 that would dramatically limit the harvest for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd for communities in the herd’s range.
Following a decline in the herd population, the Northwest Arctic Regional Advisory Council, a resident group that advises the federal government on hunting policy, proposed the measures in early March.
Right now, hunters can harvest up to five caribou per day on federal lands in the herds’ range — an area roughly the size of California that stretches from the Seward Peninsula to the North Slope. The emergency orders would have cut the limit down to four caribou per year. Only one of the four could be a cow.
The Western Arctic Caribou Herd population peaked at 490,000 caribou in 2003. The latest population estimate puts the herd numbers down to about a third of that size – a little over 160,000 caribou.
Following the board’s decision, bag limits will remain unchanged. Five caribou can still be harvested per day until next June.
While federal board members acknowledged that reform is necessary to encourage population growth, some expressed concerns about food security for rural communities in the region. The board said more outreach, public engagement opportunities, and time is needed before enacting the dramatic change in harvest limits.
The Federal Subsistence Board is accepting comments for proposed changes for the 2024-2026 season until June 30 of next year. Written comments can be submitted to the Federal Subsistence Board by email at subsistence@fws.gov.
