George River caribou population continues alarming decline

The George River caribou population continues to plummet at an alarming rate, according to a recent survey involving the affected provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec.

The photo survey by biologists from both provinces foundthere were 14,200 cariboudown from 27,600 in 2012 in July, according to a news release by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.

In just four years,the herd's numbers have dropped by more than 80 per cent.In 2010,there were 74,000 animals migrating between northern Quebec and Labrador.

It's a devastating decline for an animal that numbered more than 500,000 in the lifetime of wildlife biologist Tony Chubbs, president of the Labrador Hunting and Fishing Association.

"It's really unbelievable that a herd would come from such high numbers one of the largest caribou herds in the worldto very very small numbers. It's unimaginable."

The joint surveyblames high adult mortality among the George River herd, as well ascalves struggling to survive.

Laval University biologistSteve Ct describes the collapse as a "really big crash."

Ct said even with severe hunting restrictions and reduced resource extraction,thecaribou continue to fall topredators, or die from starvation or disease.

"There's no unique cause for this decline. There are multiple causes and we're still investigating these causes." he says

Ct says other caribou herds have neared extinction before, then rebounded.He predicts if the George River caribou do the same,thenumbers will plunge furtherbeforeshowing signs of improvement.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government's five-year ban on huntingcaribou in Labrador that wasimplemented in 2013 remainsin effect.

The herd numbered 700,000-800,000 in the1980s.