DFO urged to take action on stranded whales

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is taking too long to decide what to do with about 200 beluga whales at risk of being frozen in toa chain of lakes near Tuktoyaktuk, an Inuvialuit wildlife manager says.

Chucky Gruben, the deputy chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Hunters and Trappers Committee, says it's too late to safely chase the whales out to the Arctic Ocean to join the fall migration to Russian waters.

"Well, like I say, the window of opportunity is running out," Gruben said Thursday. "If they don't do something quick then that's a lot of whales there. The longer they wait, the less chance these whales are going to have."

'How would you like to be left in a place where it's freezing up day by day? I'd call that suffering.' -Inuvialuit Chucky Gruben

About 30,000 belugas inhabit the Arctic Ocean each summer. They often spend time feeding inHusky Lakes, but before it gets too cold they return to the ocean.

"How would you like to be left in a place where it's freezing up day by day?" Gruben said. "I'd call that suffering."

There is still time for the Inuvialuit to hunt the whales but his committee does not have the money needed to rent boats and buy gas, he said.

He doesn't want to see a repetition ofa situation that occurred in the 1980swhen by the time the Inuvialuit were given the go ahead to hunt them, thewhales were so skinny the meat was only good for dog food.

Fisheries and Oceans spokespersonAndrea Cyr said the department is concerned about the whales in Husky Lakes. It is monitoring them and trying to decide what action, if any, should be taken, she said.