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: NSMTC member communities

Our Work: Working with the Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada (FGCAC) to facilitate the safe collection and disposal of end-of-life, abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear and related plastic waste.

How it Helps: Community members can responsibly dispose of lobster traps, steel crab pots, oyster cages, and maritime plastic rope and netting, free of charge at FGCAC-approved sites. We will also be able to gather valuable data on waste management, landfilling, recycling, and waste-to-energy opportunities.

Where: NSMTC member communities

Our Work: Increasing our understanding of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) by engaging with our member communities via surveys and an open-forum workshop.

How it Helps: Community members can responsibly dispose of lobster traps, steel crab pots, oyster cages, and maritime plastic rope and netting, free of charge at FGCAC-approved sites. We will also be able to gather valuable data on waste management, landfilling, recycling, and waste-to-energy opportunities.

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: 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.