Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Jonathan Wilkinson has presented completion certificates for 23 Aboriginal Fishery Guardian trainees from around British Columbia at a ceremony in Squamish.
This ceremony was a culmination of three weeks of Conservation & Protection and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) training at the Quest University campus.
The programme began in 1992 as part of DFO’s Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy. This national programme provides indigenous groups with the opportunity to participate in fisheries management to improve conservation and stewardship. This training is an important part of creating good jobs in Indigenous communities while protecting the environment.
Indigenous Guardians play an important role in improving fisheries management in Aboriginal communities. Guardians are engaged in compliance, monitoring and stewardship activities to ensure the conservation and protection of fisheries resources in their communities. Additionally, guardians may be engaged in habitat restoration, stock assessment or other activities to promote sustainable fisheries. For instance, the Guardians on the west coast engage in activities to protect wild Pacific salmon and the iconic southern resident killer whales.
In addition to these 23 new trainees who received certificates today, there are currently almost 90 other designated Aboriginal Fishery Guardians working in 25 communities across Canada employed by and reporting through their respective First Nation or Indigenous organisations.
After the speech and presentations, the Minister spoke with some of the trainers and trainees, followed by a short tour of the Quest University campus.
