Welcome readers of the UINR Marten to the moose section of our newsletter. I am pleased to let you know that progress is underway in the Moose Management Initiative. A series of meetings with Mi’kmaq communities and their Chief and Councils are planned over the next several months.
To facilitate community involvement in this initiative, coordinator Clifford Paul and members of the Kwilmuk Maw-klusuaqn Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative team are visiting with the leadership of our communities to promote discussion and awareness of issues around the moose hunt.
We have met with a number of Chiefs and Councils to get their direction on the best approach to start discussions in the communities and we will start meeting with our members over the next few weeks. Information and feedback gathered at these meetings will give us clear and concise guidance from start to finish for the drafting of a Moose Harvest Management Plan. We are seeking your ideas, suggestions, and innovative ways to ensure that the Mi’kmaq people become the main benefactors of the moose harvest without compromising the integrity of the herd or the rights of our people. This work is just starting and everyone who wants to be heard will be provided an opportunity to participate.
No decisions have been made. We are seeking consensus with the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia. Together, we will determine what the priorities are. The Mi’kmaq people are in control of this process and we have the opportunity to have a say in how the moose herd is managed. We must protect this resource for our grandchildren and future generations. The work is just starting and we must take a slow and thoughtful approach.
Feedback, so far, has been very positive. Discussions around moose management issues have been prominently held in several communities with common goals being expressed at each meeting.
Issues of sustainable hunting, Mi’kmaq rights, and conservation have been openly discussed. Again, I must emphasize that the process of visiting every Mi’kmaq community in the province allows for community-driven directives on moose management issues.
For more information please contact: Clifford Paul, Coordinator, Moose Management Initiative, at 902 379 2163.
clifford@uinr.ca
Meeting dates:
Feb 25 Acadia Community Meeting Milton
May 18 Potlotek Chief and Council
May 26 Bear River Chief and Council
June 19 Millbrook Elders
June 27 Annapolis Valley Chief and Council
Meetings are planned in your community.