DFO closes Nunavik beluga hunt in the Hudson Strait

The beluga hunt in Nunavik is over, said the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans, which closed the 2012 beluga fall hunt in Nunavik’s Hudson Strait Nov. 3.

That’s nearly a month earlier than the beluga management plan’s Nov. 30 break-off date.

But the hunt was to end when the quota of 56 for the fall hunt was topped.

The DFO said James Bay and Long Island areas remain open. There, the most recent DFO statistics show that 20 more beluga could be hunted.

Ungava Bay, eastern Hudson Bay, Nottingham Island and Salisbury Island and the Ottawa Islands along with the Mucalic, Nastapoka and Little Whale estuaries remain closed to beluga hunting.

The Nov. 2 DFO notice says that any new beluga harvests, including any struck and lost whales, must be reported to one of the region’s local Uumajuit wardens or Technician or the program coordinator at the Kativik Regional Government, {encode=”abaron@krg.ca ” title=”Annie Baron”} or (819) 337-5454.