Nunavik hunters are being asked to delay the fall beluga harvest, as the number of whales in one beluga population is estimated to be at a record low.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) survey estimate for the Belcher Islands-Eastern Hudson Bay beluga population in 2024 was 2,200 animals – the lowest estimate on record.

The Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board’s (NMRWB) 2021-2026 management plan has an objective to ensure there’s at least a 50 per cent chance the Belcher Islands-Eastern Hudson Bay stock can be maintained at 3,400 after five years.

However, DFO says that the survey estimates used in 2021 to set that objective are now outdated, and the 2024 survey results are more accurate. The new data suggest the population has declined around two-and-a-half to three per cent each ye

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