Three Innu men from Quebec’s North Shore have pleaded guilty to killing 14 animals from the endangered Red Wine caribou herd in Labrador.
In April 2003, three hunters from Pakuashipi travelled to a restricted hunting zone near Cache River in Labrador.
When wildlife officials investigated, they found one of the dead caribou had a satellite collar. The collars are used to track the 80 animals left in the Red Wine herd.
The lawyer for the men, Armand Mackenzie, says there is proof that only one caribou from the herd was taken during the hunt.
Mackenzie said that, despite the guilty plea, Innu hunters are committed to the preservation of the herd. He was not able to explain why Quebec hunters continue to use an area that is restricted for the conservation of a dying herd.
