The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture says they will be reaching out to Indigenous groups in Labrador to “secure the future” of local caribou herds and protect the “deep cultural relationship” that exists with Indigenous peoples.

Last week, charges were stayed against seven members of the Innu Nation who were accused of hunting and possessing caribou.

The Innu Nation says now is the time for the province to “turn the page” on what they call the province’s “harmful and unconstitutional approach to caribou conservation.”

In a statement to VOCM News, the government says while the George River caribou herd remains critically low, and the hunting ban remains in place, there have been some “positive signs of improvement in recent years.

They note that the goal is to be able to lift the ban while protecting the long-term future of the herds.