Indigenous leaders in Quebec are weighing measures to address the decline in Caribou numbers.
The Leaf River caribou population in the north of the Canadian province have been in drastic decline in recent times, falling 12 per cent in one year alone from 2024 to 2025.
Data from the Quebec government shows the population numbered approximately 136,000 last year, down from more than 600,000 in the early 2000s.
At conference in Montreal last week, Cree, Naskapi and Inuit leaders met with Quebec province officials to weigh hunting limits, habitat protection and other measures to slow the fall in caribou population, while also balancing Indigenous rights and traditions.
Deputy Grand Chief of Eeyou Istchee, Linden Spencer, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation striking a balance was vital for the future of the caribou and the community.
"We have ... hunting rights to continue our culture, but we need to work together, find an agreement that works for both sides, and to realise the caribou are declining," he said.
The Leaf River caribou's range overlaps with Eeyou Istchee, the traditional territory of northern Quebec Cree, and community members have long hunted the herd.
In January, the Cree Nation Government issued territory-wide call to pause caribou hunting in December, urging Cree not to harvest across Eeyou Istchee.
The CBC reports that the Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Coordinating Committee, a co-management body of Cree, Inuit, and Naskapi representatives, passed a resolution earlier this year calling for a moratorium on caribou hunting in Eeyou Istchee below the 55th parallel.
Mr Spencer says more must be done to protect the herd.
"We just need more of our people to stand with us and think about how they hunt, and limit themselves. It is something that is very important for the future generations," he told the CBC.
"We know how to harvest, but also know how to limit. We need to show the next generation that we still have these practices, and be the frontrunners on how we preserve caribou."
Adamie Delisle Alaku, vice-president of the department of environment, wildlife and research with the Makivvik Corporation representing Inuit in Nunavik, was also in attendance at the Montreal conference.
"We understand people that want us to put in restrictions or a moratorium. There's a lot of differing views and people feel that it's infringing on their right to provide food for their families," he told the CBC.
"A limited harvest is still something we feel very strongly about to ensure food security. But for certain, we cannot have everyone harvest from the herds when they're in a major decline."
Cree tallymen Matthew Rabbitskin, also at the conference, noted that restoring and protecting the caribou herd's habitat is just as critical as managing hunting.
"The hard truth is you do not rebuild the herd by just focusing on the animal. You rebuild it by fixing the land first, because that's [the] caribou's home," Mr Rabbitskin told the CBC.
"Let's protect the areas that are not disturbed... Let's leave them alone, let them grow," he said.
The Quebec Ministry of Environment said in a statement it received the Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Coordinating Committee's resolution supporting a caribou harvest moratorium in Eeyou Istchee and is reviewing what actions to take.
