The release of images showing hundreds of caribou slaughtered north of Schefferville has sparked outrage on social media in recent days. While these photos of carcasses on the snow have shocked some internet users, the Innu Nation of Matimekush-Lake John strongly defends an ancestral practice intended to feed its community.

A tradition serving food security

Chief Paco Vachon responded with a press release to legitimize this "community hunt." According to the Council of the Nation, this mass cull serves two main objectives:

1. Food security: Meat is distributed free of charge to the approximately 300 families in the community.
2. Cultural transmission: This activity helps to maintain links between older and younger generations.

The chief assures that the number of animals respects "scientific and traditional standards" and specifies that the herd in question is neither that of the Rivière-George (vulnerable), nor that of the woodland caribou of the Caniapiscau.

Expert opinion: a nuanced biological impact

For scientists, the impressive volume of this harvest must be put into perspective with the overall size of the populations.

Expert	Institution	Analysis
Steeve Côté	Laval University	The impact of 300 animals is "very small" on a herd like that of the Rivière aux Feuilles (130,000 individuals).
M.-H. Saint-Laurent	UQAR	Warns against modern means (snowmobiles, helicopters) which reduce the chances of game and the low reproductive capacity of the species.

Note: Unlike the white-tailed deer, which can have up to three fawns, a female caribou produces only one (or none) per year, making the species particularly fragile.

A government investigation has been opened.

Despite the Innu people's defense of their ancestral rights, the Ministry of the Environment and Wildlife confirmed that wildlife protection officers were dispatched to the site. An investigation is currently underway to verify the legality of the cull. The Ministry is declining to comment further at this time.

For their part, the Maliotenam Band Council and Chief Vachon have not responded to recent interview requests.