ESKASONI FISH & WILDLIFE COMMISSION

Eskasoni First Nation First signed the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (AFS) in the early 1991.  Since then, the agreement has been facilitated by Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife Commission (EFWC).  At that time, the program in Eskasoni provided employment and training to 5 Aboriginal Guardians, an Executive Director, Assistant Director and a part-time summer science student.  Over the years, EFWC has become a multi-departmental and multi-functional body. EFWC now, along with the Guardians, houses departments in Aquaculture, Natural Resource Monitoring, Geographic Information Systems.  The Eskasoni Fish & Wildlife Commission was instrumental in starting up other organizations within the Eskasoni First Nation, such companies as the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) and Crane Cove Seafoods (CCS), now self sufficient entities.

EFWC has worked successfully with other scientific departments within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada, and Department of Natural Resources and is currently forming partnerships with universities in the Atlantic region. Memorandums of Understanding (MOU’s) have been established with the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO), Environment Canada and EFWC a member of the Bras d’Or Lakes Collaborative Environmental Planning Initiative. The intent of these partnerships is to conduct collaborative scientific research and share knowledge on the Bras d'Or Lakes and the natural resources within and around Cape Breton Island.