CACAR II provides a comprehensive assessment of contaminants in Canada’s Arctic. This report not only reflects the work conducted by the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) over the last five years, but it is also a critical component of a long-term strategy to safeguard the northern environment and the general health of the North.
The NCP co-ordinates Canada’s action on the issue of northern contaminants nationally and provides the research necessary to take action internationally. The NCP addresses concerns about exposure to elevated levels of contaminants in fish and wildlife species that are important to the traditional diets of northern Aboriginal peoples.
The NCP has set new standards for Aboriginal and northern communities’ participation in scientific and government programs. The traditional knowledge of our northern Aboriginal partners is key in understanding how chemicals and pollutants, many of which had no Arctic or Canadian source, affect the lives of northerners.