The Governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen collaboration on protecting shared caribou populations.

“Caribou don’t recognize borders, and neither should our efforts to protect

Nunavut Minister of Environment David Joanasie, and NWT Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jay Macdonald in Iqaluit on September 3rd. (Photo: GNWT)

them,” said Jay Macdonald, NWT’s minister of environment and climate change, in a statement.

“By renewing this agreement with Nunavut, we’re committing to make decisions together, based on the best available science and traditional knowledge, and to take strong action when it’s needed.”

The new MOU, signed on August 28, updates monitoring schedules for shared herds, commits both governments to share data and information from research, and outlines plans to pursue predator research and potential management programs for barren-ground caribou.

Peary caribou and the Dolphin and Union herd have also been added to the agreement.

The original MOU was signed in 2022. The updated version will remain in place until 2030.