Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement are being asked to continue respecting the ban on the harvesting of George River caribou.

A joint census on the herd, conducted by the provincial, Quebec and Nunatsiavut governments, shows that the herd remains in the vulnerable low range.

While the herd is showing some signs of improvement, people are still being asked to respect the ban in place to give caribou the best chances of recovery.

The George River herd once numbered close to a million animals, but dwindled to as low as 5,500 in recent years.

The latest census estimates show the herd is slowly growing but remains a small fraction of its former size at just 7,200 animals.

Nunatsiavut says despite some gains in the number of adult animals, the illegal harvest of George River caribou by a relatively small number of people continues to delay and threaten recovery.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister Terry Vincent says they have a moral obligation to protect the herd for future generations to harvest sustainably and they’re calling on both NL and Quebec to ensure adequate enforcement resources are in place.