Inuit hunters have decided to talk with federal scientists instead of taking them to court in a dispute over narwhal, whose unusual tusk has led it to be nicknamed the “unicorn of the sea.”
The main Inuit land claim group is withdrawing its request for a judicial review of a federal government decision to severely limit the sale of the narwhal tusks.
Last December, the federal government informed Inuit land claims groups that it would no longer issue export permits for narwhal tusks from 17 Nunavut communities.
Scientists said narwhal are over-hunted in some areas, and international treaties force Canada to ban the export of products of such animals.
But hunters pointed out there are tens of thousands of narwhal and complained that losing the right to sell the tusk robbed them of an important source of income.
Inuit officials say they will meet with fisheries scientists this summer to work out a co-management deal.