The lawsuit is an important victory for First Nations applicants.

"This is yet another significant court decision which upholds the treaty rights of First Nations in Canada, and by protecting the caribou herds and caribou habitat, these and other First Nation communities can and will continue to exercise their traditional rights and practices, including hunting, trapping and fishing," said Canadian Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo.

"Given the evidence, and the court's decision, the only reasonable conclusion Minister Kent can come to is that he must recommend emergency protection for the caribou," said Ecojustice staff lawyer Melissa Gorrie.

The Canadian Government now has until September 1, 2011 to implement a draft recovery strategy for woodland caribou (which is already four years late) under the provisions of the Species At Risk Act (SARA), based on the court decision.