Yukon outfitters won’t be happy with the news coming from the Department of Environment.

Following a review of its legislation and a legal opinion, the department is moving to limit the outfitting industry to single-year hunting allotments rather than the traditional multi-year system that has been in place for decades.

The subject arose Tuesday during question period in the legislature.

Yukon Party MLA Stacey Hassard asked several questions of Environment Minister Nils Clarke, telling him the change will do serious damage to the industry.

“Like many businesses in the territory, Yukon’s big game outfitting industry was hit hard by the COVID pandemic. Relying on advance sales of hunts, sometimes a year or two ahead of time, the travel restrictions caused obvious and understandable issues for this industry,” Hassard noted.

“Going forward, it will take several years for this industry to fully get back on its feet and clear up some of the backed-up pre-sold hunts over the course of the last several years.

“However, the industry is concerned that, as they are still trying to recover from the pandemic, the government is creating uncertainty for the industry by launching a review of the guidelines to establish outfitter quotas.”

Clarke said his department “does intend to review and modernize the 25-year-old guidelines to establish outfitter quotas currently used to establish moose, caribou, and sheep quotas.

“The intent of modernizing the quota process is to align the industry with the wildlife values of Yukoners, bring the process into conformity with the Yukon Wildlife Act, and provide a consistent and transparent approach to quota allocation for big game outfitters,” Clarke said.

During the review process, he said, “the department will establish quotas for all outfitters, ensuring alignment with the Wildlife Act and providing as much certainty as we can for industry.”

Hassard pursued the subject vigorously.

“Given the nature of the industry, outfitters rely on planning hunts on a multi-year basis and having appropriate flexibility in their allowable harvest from year to year over the term of their quotas,” he pointed out.

“For decades, and without issue, they have been able to do this with multi-year quotas and rollover or evergreen provisions as provided in the outfitter quota guidelines, which give them the certainty to book hunts in advance.

“However, now we understand that the Government of Yukon is moving to single-year quotas and eliminating rollover provisions. This makes booking hunts and planning for them almost impossible for this industry.”

He asked Clarke why the government is moving away from multi-year quotas.

Clarke the department “received a legal opinion indicating that it is their opinion — or provided to me that we do not have the authority under the Yukon Wildlife Act to implement multi-year operating certificates or quotas,” he said.

“We recognize that this is an issue for industry and also for the department. We have assured the outfitters and the renewable resources councils that, all things being equal, annual quotas will remain at the same levels until we have a new quota process in place.”

Clarke said he foresees the new annual quotas being similar to what is now in place.

“I have reviewed the history of the allowable harvest quotas in the various concession areas throughout the Yukon,” he told the house.

“My observation was that they have been relatively consistent and relatively predictable providing that there has been some ability to plan accordingly.

“We certainly appreciate the economic opportunities and benefit that outfitters provide to the territory. We’ll do the best possible to work and liaise with outfitters to conduct these reviews.”

Afterward, Clarke spoke to reporters but couldn’t provide a clear explanation as to how the system has been in place for 25 years without anyone detecting that the Wildlife Act doesn’t allow for the multi-year quotas.

Since the legal opinion has now been received, he emphasized, the government couldn’t ignore it. That would essentially be breaking the law, Clarke added.

Hassard asked for a third time whether Clarke understands the ramifications for the outfitters.

“It’s important that the minister understand that the ability for the outfitters to be able to do that planning is vital to their industry. Reviewing the outfitter quota guidelines and moving to a single-year quota system is tremendously destabilizing for the outfitting industry, “ Hassard said.

In his final comment on the subject, Clarke said: “I have no intention of throwing the Yukon outfitters into any sort of disarray.

“I can advise that my department is having regular meetings with the Yukon outfitter liaison committee as indicated. I have met with the outfitters previously and am prepared to do so again.”

The guidelines are out of date, he added.

“They are not consistent necessarily with First Nation governments and they are not consistent with regional resource council mandates either. They need to be reviewed in a collaborative, transparent manner.”