We Care For Our Environment

Where: Mi’kmaq communities

Our Work: We assist the Canadian Coast Guard with Indigenous recruitment, safety, rescue, oil spills training, and identification of derelict vessels within First Nations’ community territory. We also host special training sessions with fishers from our communities.

How it Helps: The Canadian Coast Guard works to ensure the safety of mariners and protect the marine environment. Our partnership allows us to connect community members to this important work.

Where: Miramichi River

Our Work: Over the last five years, we have surveyed and enhanced cold water pools at 11 key locations along the Miramichi watershed. We revisit these sites annually to make sure that the work we carried out is still holding up.

How it Helps: Cold water habitat is critical for Atlantic salmon and trout survival, especially with rising water temperatures. By enhancing cold water pools, we are able to make these havens more functional for the fish using them.

Where: Lobster fishing areas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Our Work: Ghost gear is discarded, lost, or abandoned gear in marine fishing environments. Our staff have received extensive diving training to retrieve this gear. In 2023, with the help of Mi’kmaq fishers, we spent 60 hours locating and retrieving 1,200 pounds of derelict gear.

How it Helps: Ghost gear can trap or entangle marine life, smother habitat, and be hazardous for those navigating open water.

Where: Gulf of Saint Lawrence coastal region of NB

Our Work: We work alongside partners and communities to identify, understand, and address environmental concerns that affect biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and community well-being.

How it Helps: This project demonstrates the value of two-eyed seeing and community collaboration while helping to conserve species at risk.

Where: Miramichi Lake and adjacent streams

Our Work: In 2022, following a treatment to Miramichi Lake to eradicate invasive smallmouth bass, we began activities to monitor and manage invasive smallmouth bass in the area. As the invasive species spreads beyond control, we continue to advocate for action from regulators.

How it Helps: Invasive smallmouth bass are detrimental to the Miramichi river system’s natural ecosystem, particularly the native fish species that call it home. Our work provides valuable information to regulators and fellow conservation organizations, and helps to mitigate this growing threat.

Where: The Oxbow

Our Work: In 2017, we completed reconstruction of the north river bank of the Little Southwest Miramichi River adjacent to Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation to reduce erosion coming from the area. Each September we reassess the site to learn about how our work has benefited the area. Species we pay special attention to are trout, salmon, bank swallows, and wood turtles. So far so good!

How it Helps: This project allowed us to reduce the sediment load entering the watercourse that was affecting critical habitat. The project continues to give us insight into river remediation and how it can benefit an ecosystem.