Paqtnkek fishers call for unity in Mi'kmaw nation to address elver fishing

Sis'moqon · CBC News

· Posted: May 22, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Often the archetypal repast fixed to babies transitioning from their mother's beverage and the last repast for elders making their travel to the tone world, the eel has value successful the Mi'kmaw culture.

Kerry Prosper, an elder and councillor from Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation, astir 240 km northeast of Halifax, is among those acrophobic for the aboriginal of the eels with the surge successful elver (baby eel) fishing.

There's been accrued Mi'kmaw engagement successful the industry, but not each Mi'kmaw fishers enactment elver harvesting.

"People request to marque a surviving but we person to truly determine however we're going to marque a surviving and what are the consequences to our 7 generations, your grandchildren, your large grandchildren," said Prosper.

Prosper harvests eels for household and assemblage members, and describes them arsenic a dependable nutrient root for the Mi'kmaw nation, particularly successful times of nutrient scarcity.

The American Eel was assessed as threatened by the Committee connected the Status of Endangered Wildlife successful Canada (COSEWIC) successful 2012 but has yet to beryllium listed for extortion nether the Species At Risk Act.

According to COSEWIC's 2012 assessment, the eels look aggregate threats: dams acting arsenic barriers to spawning habitat, hydroelectric turbine-related deaths, situation degradation and parasites.

"When you spot that happening and you spot the illness of the ample eel fishery from commercialized sportfishing and you spot the instauration of a babe eel fishery close astatine the collapse… what's it gonna bash and however tin you specify conservation successful that benignant of a fishery?" said Prosper. 

Prosper's appreciation for eel is tied to a spot wherever helium has memories of spearing eel – Welneg or "beautiful bay" successful Pomquet Harbour conscionable extracurricular Paqtnkek. 

It was astatine this spot that Prosper gave support to Donald Marshall Jr. to food successful 1993 and wherever helium was charged for sportfishing and selling eels without a licence, starring to implicit six years of litigation.

The Supreme Court of Canada's Sparrow determination successful 1990 confirmed that Indigenous radical person a law close to food for food, societal and ceremonial purposes. 

"Donald was thinking, what is social? Can we food for our communities? Can we commercialized it? Can we merchantability it?" said Prosper.

"Our pact said we could and truthful helium was selling eels."

The Supreme Court yet ruled successful his favour successful 1999, affirming the Mi'kmaw right nether the Peace and Friendship treaties to hunt, food and stitchery successful the pursuit of a "moderate livelihood." The determination besides implicated the Wolastoqiyik and the Peskotomuhkati.

Following this decision, the national authorities introduced fisheries initiatives for First Nations successful the Atlantic provinces, offering equipment, grooming and regulated entree successful speech for national oversight of the mean livelihood fisheries. 

While galore Mi'kmaw communities present prosecute successful these federally managed fisheries, others proceed to asseverate their pact rights independently – peculiarly successful lobster and much precocious elver fishing. 

Prosper said he's arrogant to spot Mi'kmaq exercising their rights but cautions that a unified attack betwixt communities is needed, particularly erstwhile harvesting a threatened taxon similar eel. 

"Think astir netukulimk, our transportation to each of beingness here, and etuaptmumk, oregon two-eyed seeing," helium said.

"I spot [the words] in their absorption plans, but I don't spot it successful their mind. I don't spot it successful their heart."

Population decline

Prosper has passed his teachings connected harvesting and respecting eels to his household and his community, Paqtnkek, the lone Mi'kmaw assemblage successful Nova Scotia choosing not to beryllium progressive with the elver fishery.

His grandson, Kaeden Prosper, 20, shares this concern. 

"Eels…they're everything," said Kaeden Prosper.

"I grew up sportfishing them my full life. It's thing I clasp beloved to my heart."

Kaeden Prosper remembers however arsenic a seven-year-old he'd spell retired connected the crystal and drawback 5 to 10 eels per hole. He said present aft a afloat time of sportfishing he's fortunate to travel location with possibly 5 eels. 

"Seeing the colonisation decline, it hurts my heart," helium said.

"It makes maine acrophobic for my kids."

He said his grandfather's generation didn't person the privilege to turn up with acknowledged mean livelihood rights the mode helium did.

"That close was recognized by eels," helium said.

"It was eels that brought our rights back, and past present you are abusing that aforesaid carnal that brought those rights back."

Both Kaeden and his gramps admit the economical pressures galore Mi'kmaw families are facing and accidental they recognize wherefore immoderate person entered the lucrative fishery.

But Kerry Prosper said helium hopes to spot Mi'kmaw communities travel together on a shared imaginativeness for the future. 

"[Mi'kmaq] person to spell each successful unneurotic successful exercising our pact rights and respecting them and managing them," helium said.

"We've got to beryllium a nation."