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Baffin Island caribou hunt halted as quota reached

The government of Nunavut says all 250 tags for Baffin Island Caribou have been used for the 2019-2020 harvest

All remaining tags are void and are to be returned to local wildlife office, government says

Baffin Island caribou numbers have dwindled since the 1990s. A 2012 aerial survey showed the herd's population had declined by 95 per cent over 20 years.

The government of Nunavut has halted the 2019-2020 Baffin Island caribou hunt as the harvest limit has been reached.

In an announcement Tuesday morning, the government also said any remaining tags are to be returned to the local wildlife office, or hunters and trappers organizations.

In August 2015, the government put the 250 total allowable harvest quota in place, following a moratorium earlier that year.

A 2012 aerial survey showed the herd's numbers had decreased by up to 95 per cent from estimates in the 1990s.

The government warned any more harvesting of Baffin Island caribou this season would be against the law.