The pilot project is at the consultation stage, just like the order. However, the pilot project still does not cover all of the factors that can influence the dynamics of the caribou populations. We are not going against the scientific articles that have been written—there are many. However, we would say that the scientific articles on the caribou are always based only on the disturbance thresholds. The main culprit, the forestry industry, always takes the heat.
We are not burying our heads in the sand. We know that we have aninfluence on the habitat. However, we believe that it is not the only influence. There is species migration. When I was a kid, at the lake, there were no racoons or deer. Now I have them in my yard and in my chicken coop. That is a factor. Biting insects that affect the caribou's energy levels are sticking around longer, which is another factor. I am not a scientist, but it seems that many factors are having an influence on the caribou populations and those factors are not being taken into account.
As for the glass dome principle, we fear that this will lead to a scenario where everyone loses. It is not going to help recovery efforts and the forestry sector will suffer disastrous consequences. We fear that we are going to pay a high price to ultimately not save the species.
That is why we are participating in the consultations on the pilot project. Not everything has been included for a strategy that covers all of the factors that influence the dynamic of the caribou populations.