EventThe Government of Nunavut lifted the caribou harvest limit on Baffin Island from 550 to 6,000—12.3 % of a now‑48,000‑strong herd—and removed restrictions on female harvesting for the upcoming season. With an estimated 25 % annual population growth, regulators say the quota will not curb expansion; limits will rise by 125 each year starting July 2027, plus 50 annually through 2032.
Nunavut’s government approved a jump in the Baffin Island caribou harvest limit to 6,000 from 550 for the July‑2026 to June‑2027 season, dropping restrictions on females and setting the new quota at 12.3 % of an estimated 48,000 herd that is still growing at ~25 % per year.
The new 6,000‑caribou limit—up from 550—permits hunters to take about 12% of Baffin Island’s 48,000‑strong herd while removing female harvesting restrictions, a change deemed sustainable amid ongoing population gains.
Nunavut’s government has lifted its Baffin Island caribou harvest cap from 550 to 6,000 for the 2026‑27 season and removed limits on female harvests amid a tenfold population rise, though regulators say the rate won’t halt growth.
