Malagawatch occupies 661 hectares in the southeastern part of Inverness County on the Bras d’Or Lakes. Mala has the unique distinction of being jointly owned by the five Mi’kmaq communities in Unama’ki and has a long history steeped in cultural and political significance. It plays an important part in ancient Mi’kmaq life and today is a source of pride for its natural beauty, cultural richness and ancient traditions.

Because of its location on the shores of the Bras d’Or Lakes the land is subject to serious coastal erosion due to climate change. And it is happening fast. Important monuments to Mi’kmaq history are being lost.

UINR has been studying the situation and taking active measures to preserve the area, bringing together individuals, government departments and industry to come up a solution for the rapidly eroding area. In addition to the technical work UINR is doing to preserve the area, we are preparing an application to designate the area an historic site.

Tonia Sylliboy knows a lot about Mala’s history. Tonia was hired by UINR to find everything she could on Malagawatch from early documents and oral history to current knowledge. She discovered some interesting things:

• Malagawatch was one of four main gathering areas
• for Mi’kmaq Grand Council.
• Mala was used as a wintering camp and known for
• its abundance of medicinal plants, game, eels and cod.
• In 1650, Nicholas Denys, a French explorer
• traded with Mi’kmaq from Malagawatch.
• Malagawatch or Mirliguech means a triangular piece of land
• formed by a river and a large body of water.
• In 1722, Malagawatch became Mi’kmaq headquarters,
• playing an active part in the politics of Unama’ki until 1750.
• An early Mission was held yearly.
• A church and presbytery was built in 1725
• and fell into disrepair in 1739.

If you live in Eskasoni, Potlotek or Waycobah, watch the mail for a copy of your guide to protecting the environment in your community. UINR has put together an easy-to-read booklet of easy tips and useful information on little things that you can do to make a healthy environment for eels, fish, you and your friends and family.

Chiefs and Councils passed resolutions that community members must contact the Band Council and obtain written permission before clearing or using any unencumbered Band land.

These booklets feature illustrations by Potlotek resident Chris Andrews and are written by UINR biologist and research coordinator Shelley Denny and Tyson Paul with the assistance of community members and organizations.

Clean water is essential to survival of kataq eels. It is habitat for many different plants and animals like plamu salmon,kaqpesaw smelt, atoqwa’su trout, mntmu oysters and kaspe’laq gaspereau.

Fish habitat is protected by law. We all have a part to play in fish habitat conservation and protection. It is important we use our land properly. Our actions affect the Bras d’Or Lakes and other rivers, ponds and lakes. We are all connected.

These booklets show what you can do to protect these special places.

UINR is sending a booklet to every household in Potlotek, Eskasoni and Waycobah and extra copies are available at our office in Eskasoni or at uinr.ca

The illustrations on this page show:
When approaching land, lift outboard motors and land boats in areas with less eel grass. Eel grass is important to many fish species, including eels.

Show ways to protect aquatic habitat to the next generation by example.

Leave a naturally occurring 20 m (66 ft) buffer zone of trees, shrubs, grass and groundcover to hold soil in place and minimize erosion. It protects water from accidental leaks from furnace oil, sewage, gas and oil.

By Charlie Dennis

Someone came into the office today and asked me, “How are the oysters Charlie?” Sadly, I didn’t have a simple answer for them. Back in 2002 it was confirmed that MSX, an oyster parasite, was detected in some key oyster-producing areas of the Bras d’Or Lakes. At first, small mortalities were reported and questions arose as to how much of the Bras d’Or Lakes was infected. Again, not an easy question to answer. So UINR partnered with Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission (EFWC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture and the National Research Council-Industrial Research Assistance Program to find some answers.

We learned that MSX originated in the United States in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays in the 1950s. Research included assessing areas affected by MSX, researching the biology of the parasite, trying to determine the origin of the infected oysters, determining if other shellfish would carry MSX if they were moved around and identifying how we could work around the problem.

UINR and EFWC have taken part in most, if not all, of the MSX projects in the Bras d’Or Lakes and spearheaded the “Initiation of a breeding strategy for an MSX tolerant oyster.” Some of the children of the oysters that were used in this hatchery work are growing in the Bras d’Or Lakes now. Sadly, there is not a lot of funding for these types of projects and little work is being now being done.

Today the oyster in some parts of the Bras d’Or Lakes is doing fine. Each summer we see spat on eel grass in areas like Denys Basin which means there are larger oysters around. Mothers and fathers produce young despite oyster diseases like MSX and Malpeque (a disease that I have not touched on today). Other areas of the Bras d’Or Lakes are not so lucky. Beds that were once an oyster fisher’s salvation are no longer producing. Is this because of disease, over-fishing, pollution or loss of habitat? At times it’s hard to tell. We do know that the oyster in the Bras d’Or Lakes is not as plentiful as it once was. It is no longer able to feed the Mi’kmaq as it once did. This is a shame.

There are still areas, like the waters near Potlotek, where MSX is found but not causing problems… yet. DFO has precautions in place so that it is not spread by humans. This includes cleaning boats between launching sites (spraying with an iodine solution is the best method) and fishing from least infected to most infected areas so as not to spread MSX through oyster fishing activities.

Instead of asking, “How are the oysters?”, perhaps we should be asking, “How are the humans?” How are humans going to survive without the oyster as a source of food? How are humans going to survive without the oyster filtering the waters of our swimming and fishing areas? In the end, I believe the oyster will survive and thrive once again. In our lifetime? Only time will tell.

If you thought that the only thing our hardwood forests produce is firewood, you would be in for a big surprise at UINR’s workshop–Tetapuo’tmnej Nipukt–Making the Most of Our Hardwood Resources. A full house was on hand to hear presentations from people who use the forests for a lot more than keeping warm in the winter! From baskets and canoes to perfumes and musical instruments, the products of our forests are as diverse as the people who produce them.

Todd Labrador is a canoe maker from the Wildcat First Nation and, using a presentation of photos, he illustrated the step-by-step process of creating a birch bark canoe. Some of the challenges are finding birch with thick enough bark and the demands of digging 500 feet of roots to sew the canoe together.

Hugh Ross spent his career working as a forester for Stora Enso and, now retired, he spends time as a hobbyist wood turner making bowls, vases and other items from hardwood burls he finds in the woods. Hugh brought along several of his unique pieces in various stages of completion.

David Fraser is the owner of B.A. Fraser Hardwood Mill in Margaree Valley. David spoke about silviculture practices he uses and, in light of biofuel, the need for improved hardwood management.

Biofuel is a hot topic and Jamie Simpson talked about the Acadian Forest and how high value species are over-harvested, leaving a degraded forest. Jamie expressed caution on the amounts harvested for biofuel and the importance in leaving a significant amount of a harvested tree behind to break down and fertilize the soil, contributing to a healthy forest ecology.

Garett Lahey, an instrument maker from Glace Bay, discussed different wood species he uses in the construction and repair of musical instruments. Garett also experiments with different natural products as finishes on his instruments.

Caroline Gould from Waycobah and her great-grand daughter Ursula Johnson from Eskasoni displayed their unique basket-making skills. Caroline discussed the kind of wood she prefers and displayed baskets in various sizes, in different stages of completion and designs.

Cecelia Brooks from St. Mary’s First Nation in New Brunswick is the owner/operator of a natural body products business that uses natural forest products. Cecelia talked about the many different forest resources she uses in her extensive line of products.

The workshop was held with financial assistance from the First Nations Forestry Program and Nova Forest Alliance, in association with the Sustainable Forest Communities program.

Photo (from top left to right): Jamie Simpson, Todd Labrador, Caroline Gould , Ursula Johnson, Garett Lahey, Hugh Ross, David Fraser , Cecelia Brooks

UINR hosted a tour of a woodlot in the Truro area to educate Mi’kmaq communities on opportunities in forestry by showcasing good management techniques. UINR Forest Manager Assistant Jason MacLean joins Bruce Francis, Jay Dennis, William Jeddore, UINR’s Mark MacPhail and Perry Dennis.

UINR staff met with Ted Potter, Acting Director, Aboriginal Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Lisa Young, Executive Director, UINR; Tom Howe, Co-management Development Officer Aboriginal Fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Shelley Denny, Biologist and Research Coordinator, UINR.

Welcome from Lisa Young UINR’s Executive Director

As common as talk about the warm spring weather are people’s comments on the wonder of seeing nature come alive again. Early fishing, spring peepers singing in the ponds, and plants and trees flowering are what we look forward to with the return of longer days and warming nights.

After an unusually mild winter, Spring arrived early this year–earlier than any in memory. Climate change is not something that is happening in the future, it’s happening right now. We are seeing changes in weather patterns, storm activity, rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

For example, the road to the historic graveyard at Malagawatch is no longer passable and despite efforts to stabilize the banks, immediate work needs to be done. We developed a plan to provide relief to the erosion and preserve this significant area of Mi’kmaq, French and British history.

In this issue we pay special tribute to Shelley Denny, UINR’s Biologist and Research Coordinator. Shelley’s understanding of the Bras d’or Lakes extends to her passion for protecting the environment. Shelley’s commitment to using earth-friendly products is making a difference in the health of our communities. If we all take a step and do even one little thing, we are making things better for ourselves today and for our families tomorrow.

Following is the presentation by UINR’s Commercial Fisheries Liaison Coordinator Hubert Nicholas made to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans in Sydney on May 27.

I am the Commercial Fisheries Liaison Coordinator for Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR). UINR is an umbrella organization that represents the five Mi’kmaq communities of Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island). UINR tries to help the five Mi’kmaq communities and non native communities better manage its natural resources that were given to us by the Creator.

There are five Mi’kmaq communities in Unama’ki that fish snow crab in areas 19, 23 and 24. In total seven of the 13 Mi’kmaq communities fish snow crab on the Scotian Shelf with an approximate population of 10,000 people representing approximately 74% of the total Mi’kmaq population of Nova Scotia (13564 total). This equates to 21.5 licenses in Area 23 and 8.5 licenses in Area 24. In addition to the licenses that the Mi’kmaq communities currently own, one also holds a fixed allocation.

The 30 licenses and fixed quota equates to approximately 176 jobs for the seven communities. These jobs means that 176 families benefit from employment and a sense of well-being and belonging that being part of a community provide.

The money that is generated from the snow crab fishery and the commercial fisheries goes directly back to the community. The Chiefs and councillors of each community determine how to best allocate the money that is generated from commercial fishing enterprises. Money that is generated for each community goes towards essential services within each community such as housing, education, infrastructure, social services, health, community services, job creation, community enterprises and improved well being. Snow crab jobs provided opportunities and increased well being that did not exist prior to the Marshall decision. We now have people training and going back to school to provide more opportunities for themselves and their families.

When you consider the amount of money generated from the fishery and the amount of jobs it creates, that does not equate to a moderate livelihood to each community member. In most communities snow crab revenue is used to help bail out other fisheries that are losing money, in the hopes that the employees can accumulate enough income and enough employment insurance benefits to help them through the non-fishing season. Chiefs and Councils decide for the communities on how best to benefit the most people through work projects and supporting essential services as well as supporting businesses and fisheries that are not profitable in the name of job creation. As you can see there is dependence on the snow crab fishery. We realize the importance of not fishing at all costs and want this resource to be there for generations to come to help our communities and its people, therefore we support science recommendations and advice.

We feel that the definition of moderate livelihood has not been taken seriously. No moderate livelihood agreements have been honoured since the Marshall decision. The Marshall Response Initiative was a great thing for our communities as things were much worse prior to this decision but they are a long way from where we want them to be. More needs to be done to support economic opportunities and employment opportunities within Mi’kmaq communities and more access to the snow crab industry is a start.

The snow crab industry on the Scotian Shelf is in good condition because of the cuts and management decisions that participants made in the past. This resulted in a record high abundance of crab this year as the biomass has reached its peak and now is heading for a decline but the Southern Gulf TAC is 64% less this year than last. This is a natural occurrence in snow crab and something that is easy to predict, whereas prices and political involvement is not.

The TAC is now at high levels never seen before but, we have unfortunately had to live with a low price in the past few years because of the economy. With low prices for crab and increased operating costs communities had to adjust their budgets to compensate and make decisions that affect their community members well-being. Any negative adjustment in quota affects the seven Mi’kmaq communities that fish snow crab and its approximately 10,000 members. This includes the new license that was issued, as well as if the proposed sharing formula was to be implemented. Less quota available for the First Nation communities means less jobs and less money for essential services in its communities.

The IFMP did not support additional access to the snow crab areas of area 23 and 24 as it stated that the fishery is fully subscribed. The seven Mi’kmaq communities of Nova Scotia that fish on the Scotian Shelf have asked for more access prior to the Rhyno decision and were denied just to watch the Minister of the day issue a new license without any fee to a non-native and no benefit to any Mi’kmaq community.

The Supreme Court decision should have been considered prior to making the Rhyno decision. The Rhyno decision made us lose faith in DFO and the entire process and we are left to question if the courts and the federal government are indeed protecting our rights. We are now all wondering how a person can receive a license in this lucrative fishing area without consulting the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia or the fishermen that have been affected. The Mi’kmaq should have first right to more access to this area to help meet the premise of what was promised in the Marshall decision–moderate livelihood. The Rhyno decision took quota away from each Mi’kmaq person and community, and any adjustment to the sharing formula will do the same.

The issuance of the Rhyno license goes directly against the “Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for Eastern Canada, 1996” where “DFO gives special consideration to Aboriginal peoples for commercial licenses, when opportunities arise.” The opportunity was there for the Minister to live up to the Marshall Response initiative and support Mi’kmaq communities in receiving additional access but instead did not. This decision was made with total disregard to conservation, First Nations, and management protocols in place at the time. The Rhyno decision causes First Nation communities to question DFO’s managerial ability. We are left to wonder if DFO considers treaty rights or First Nation community sustainability when making decisions?

Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) has added its support for a ban on salmon fishing in Middle and Baddeck Rivers. UINR represents the five Mi’kmaq communities in Cape Breton on issues related to natural resources and the environment. UINR is also a member of the Cape Breton Collaborative Salmon Initiate.

Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq have agreed to stop fishing for their rights-based food, social and ceremonial fisheries in these rivers in acknowledgement of the decline in the salmon populations.

Lisa Young, UINR’s Executive Director explains, “For many years we felt the loss of salmon in our rivers and our culture has suffered as a result. Once plentiful, salmon are now found in only a few rivers. Many rivers have such low numbers of salmon that they are below what scientists calculate are required to sustain the population. While the number of tags allotted to our communities have mostly remained the same, they are not enough to support the salmon requirements of our people. Right now our people do not use all our allotted tags because we feel that conservation is more important.”

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) have imposed restrictions on the recreational fishery by imposing size limits, seasonal closures and catch and release using barbless artificial flies. UINR feels that these measures are merely masking the problem of salmon decline and are only a band-aid solution for the critical situation that faces salmon today. Immediate and critical steps are needed to save the resource before more damage is done.

Recreational fishing is important for tourism. It sustains and creates employment, supports communities and simulates the economy. Government benefits from this fishery through licence sales. However, UINR believes that sustainability of a species is more important than short-term economic gain.

A catch and release fishery has many effects, ranging from injury to death. From the perspectives of biological and ecological consequences and the perspective of Mi’kmaq culture UINR is concerned on several issues.UINR biologist Shelley Denny explains “The general assumption is that released fish will survive. Estimated mortality rates are given at about 4% for salmon in our waters. However most fish do not die immediately after release and may die later. Improper handling can also increase fish mortality.Salmon may be vulnerable to predation immediately after release. They may be stressed, exhausted or in unfamiliar territory. Noise and movements during fishing can also attract predators, increasing the risk of mortality.

“Tissues will be damaged from the hook. Depending on where the hook has entered, it may be directly lethal or affect other organs such as eyes, mouth or jaw affecting their ability to feed. Injury puts fish at risk for disease and parasites which can affect fish health and increase mortality.

“Fish release stress hormones when they are removed from the water or trying to escape. Increase in stress hormones are linked to a decline in egg and sperm quality and lowered immune function.

“Upstream spawning migration patterns in adult Atlantic salmon are altered as a result of catch and release, as well as downstream movements, increased erratic movement patterns and a reduced migration distance. This may lead to a shift in the distribution of spawning populations within the river and disadvantages at the spawning grounds.

“Current catch and release fisheries take place during the spawning season. Peak spawning takes place during the fall and there is potential to alter spawning behaviour, damage spawning grounds, and kill eggs and alevin.”

The manner by which catch and release fisheries takes place is in direct violation of the laws of nature honoured by the Mi’kmaq people. Lisa Young explains “It is not in our tradition to catch then release fish. We were taught that all life has spirit and that all species are our kin. We were never encouraged to play with our food. To fish was to kill so that our people may survive. Gratitude was offered through ceremony. Salmon that was needed was taken and shared. Enough was left for the survival of the species. We don’t believe in harassment of salmon during their spawning migration if the results are to cause stress and injury for personal gratification. One spawning salmon has the potential to give life to many thousands of salmon in her lifetime. The death of one salmon today is the loss of thousands tomorrow.”

Despite commercial fishing closures, improvements in habitat and closures of the recreational fishery in many rivers, we have yet to see an improvement in salmon populations. Uncertainty in at-sea migration and survival and changes in water temperature as a result of climate change are speculated as having dire consequences to local salmon populations.

Steps need to be taken to save this resource for future generations. UINR supports the Assembly of Mi’kmaq Chiefs and their call for an end to recreational fishing in these rivers.