Community Based Monitoring Program
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region – Community-Based Monitoring Program is a partnership that includes the six Hunters and Trappers Committees, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region wildlife co-management boards the Inuvialuit Game Council, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and the Joint Secretariat.
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region covers an area of 1.1 million km², similar in size to the state of Alaska.
Community-based monitoring is required in order to appropriately survey the region. Community interests and priorities are integral to the design and implementation of the Community Based Monitoring Program.
The program builds and increases local capacity to monitor current environmental conditions and trends through the training of Community Resource Technicians and the participation of local harvesters. The Community Based Monitoring Program includes and uses local expert Inuvialuit knowledge to inform the decisions and priorities of Inuvialuit organizations, wildlife co-management boards and territorial and federal resource management authorities.
ISR-CBMP was endorsed by the Inuvialuit Game Council in 2010 and committed to exclusively study Inuvialuit harvesting in 2014.
Through the collection of related local/traditional knowledge, the ISR-CBMP successfully developed a coordinated approach to community based monitoring in the ISR and ultimately, a long term monitoring program of Inuvialuit harvest data known as the Inuvialuit Harvest Study (IHS).
This monitoring program collects harvest data including quantity, location, and harvest characteristics related to all birds, fish and mammals harvested by Inuvialuit residents in the six ISR communities. The resulting data base builds upon the existing Inuvialuit harvest data collected from 1988-1997 and provides a more complete and informed understanding of harvesting patterns in the ISR.
The data and knowledge collected and shared through the ISR-CBMP are direct results of community participation and support.
ISR-CBMP was endorsed by the Inuvialuit Game Council in 2010 and committed to exclusively study Inuvialuit harvesting in 2014.
Program Goals
Contribute reliable environmental data and local expert Inuvialuit knowledge to inform and support decisions by resource managers and developers, Inuvialuit organizations and wildlife co-management boards.Incorporate local expert Inuvialuit knowledge as well as local ways of monitoring into community-based monitoring efforts.
Build and increase capacity in Inuvialuit communities to enhance participation in local and regional monitoring and research activities.
Establish a long-term harvest-monitoring program to meet ISR decision-makers data and knowledge needs.