CCN Back Issues Vol 6 Issue 6

In the late 1970s and early '80s, rich tin deposits were found in the interior of Yarmouth County. In 1985, Rio Algom Limited, a subsidiary of the British multinational Rio Tinto Zinc, began mining operations near East Kemptville, in the watershed of the Tusket River. By the time spring rolled around, people began to notice that the river's waters had turned brown.

In April of 1986, the Yarmouth County Wildlife Association called a public meeting about the problems at the tin mine. Mil Nickerson remembers that meeting well: "About 400 people showed up," he recalls. "There were people there from both government and industry who they said that everything was fine, that together they would get things back in order. After almost four hours of questions and evasive answers we all left, and it seemed there was nothing people could do to get the Tusket River cleaned up. I went home and grumbled to my wife, Jean, about it. She told me to stop complaining and instead to do something."

That was the start of what would become the Tusket River Environmental Protection Association (TREPA). "I got on the phone with some others, and we started knocking on people's doors," remembers Mil. A week after the initial meeting, another was held at the Lake Vaughn Fire Hall, and 52 people founded the organization. Mil Nickerson was elected its first President. "It was all Jean's fault," he says with a smile, as we talk in the small TREPA office above a florist's shop on Main Street in Yarmouth.

If it is, in fact, all Jean Nickerson's "fault," people in western Nova Scotia owe her a big debt of gratitude. Within a few weeks of TREPA's founding, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), laid charges against Rio Algom, which was changing the way it treated mine effluents. (Rio Algom continued to operate the mine until 1992. See "Greening of a Scar," page 7, for more on the mine site.) Soon, the waters of the Tusket River were running clear again. TREPA was far from finished, however: it began research into heavy metal contamination of both surface and ground water. It hasn't looked back since.

In 1987, the East Tusket River Monitoring Committee was formed to keep a long-term eye on water quality in the river system. It included representatives from Environment Canada, DFO, the Nova Scotia Department of the Environment, Rio Algom, and TREPA, which has continued its involvement with the Committee ever since.

The ecosystem of the Tusket River is very special. The endangered Atlantic Whitefish has been found in its waters, while rare plants bring colour to its banks. One of these rarities is a wildflower called Plymouth Gentian, and in the late 1980s TREPA became aware that these plants flourished in an area around Gilfillan Lake. The land was owned by the Liverpool-based Bowater Mersey Paper Company, and it asked that TREPA, together with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, assume stewardship of the site. TREPA agreed, and the Gilfillan Lake Nature Area was formed.

In 1995, Bowater sold its holdings in the area to J. D. Irving Limited, but it donated the 26-acre parcel of land to TREPA, which renamed the area the C. R. K. Allen Nature Reserve. (Yarmouth-born Charles R. K. Allen was a renowned biologist, naturalist, and educator who passed away in 1998.) TREPA, which uses the Plymouth Gentian in its letterhead and logo, continues to protect and monitor this very special place.

In the mid-1990s, TREPA worked together with Nova Scotia Power (NSP) to design and install a new fish ladder on the Tusket River, where NSP has had a small hydro operation for many years. NSP still supports a number of TREPA activities in the area. "We may not always agree with everything they say," says NSP spokesperson Margaret Murphy, "but they are a great custodian of the land in that part of the province, and they have a very solid reputation with everyone who works with them."

In the mid-1990s, a dispute arose between a groups of monks at Nova Nada in the interior of Yarmouth County and J. D. Irving Limited. The monks claimed that the noise and environmental destruction caused by Irving clearcutting would ruin the serenity they had come to Nova Scotia to enjoy. In the end, the monks left and Irving went ahead with its clearcutting. TREPA worked hard in support of the monks.

"We supported the monks against Irving," Mil recalls. "Then, in 1997, Irving approached us to sit on a committee that would look at all aspects of the company's forestry operations in western Nova Scotia. We agreed, although we have a lot of problems with the way Irving operates. We've worked on that committee and we've been able get some concessions in the best interests of environmental protection. You work with who you have to in order to protect and defend the environment."

"We've done a lot of things over the years," Mil tells me, "but we need to get more younger people involved. So many of them move away, to university or to jobs elsewhere. But we're working with the local school board to raise awareness among the younger people, so that should bring some of them in to carry on our work."

That partnership with the Southwest Regional School Board and other organizations is known as the Gulf of Maine Institute Without Walls. It brings issues of watershed health before young people and encourages them to do research of their own. Last year, students traced the history of the Tusket and Barrington Rivers, analyzed scientific data, and created action plans that are aimed at preserving the future of biologically rich watersheds, clean water, and natural recreational areas.

Over the years, TREPA has submitted briefs to government bodies, lobbied in favour of pesticide-free and organic farming, promoted recycling, cleaned beaches, helped count the abundance and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the Tusket River watershed, expressed concerns over specific environmental issues, and raised public awareness about the environment. It is a member of the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, the Nova Scotia Environmental Network, and the Canadian Environmental Network. Its achievements have been recognized by three levels of government, by the business community, and by the people of western Nova Scotia. That's not bad for an organization that has an annual operational budget of about $10,000 and has never had a paid employee.

For more information about TREPA visit its website at www.trepa.com, or call 742-9856.

Greening of a Scar

Gift shops across the province sell an early-1990s satellite image of Nova Scotia titled "Nova Scotia From 500 Miles High." This map comes with a one-page explanation that points to a number of features appearing in this image. That explanation makes note of a wide patch that is clearly visible from space and identifies it as the site of the Rio Algom mine near Kemptville. It appears as a bright white scar surrounded by the greenery of the forest. I'm reminded of this satellite image, which hangs on my bedroom wall, as I drive the back roads of the County from downtown Yarmouth towards Kemptville. As I approach the mine site, I note a "No Trespassing" sign on the front gate. But the gate is open, so I drive in and park by the main office.

Just inside the door, standing in the hallway, I mutter a soft "Hello?" and am greeted by four men who emerge from a back room. These are all that remain of the 260 who worked here when the mine was going full tilt. I explain that Mil Nickerson of the Tusket River Environmental Protection Association suggested that I drop by and introduce myself. "We must be four pretty powerful guys to replace so many," jokes Site Manager Brian Lewis, as he offers me coffee and a chair in his office.

Brian explains to me that, though Rio Algom had long-term plans to operate the tin mine (it also produced copper and zinc concentrates), within twenty days of its 1985 opening the world price of tin fell from $8.45 per pound to $3.40. "That, more than any environmental problems," he tells me, "is what sealed the fate of this operation."

As Brian and I get into his truck to explore the 1,300-acre site, he outlines his extraordinary plans for this place. "As part of the process of getting federal and provincial approval to open the mine in the first place," he tells me, "Rio Algom had to put in place a multi-million-dollar closure investment fund to pay for what we're doing here now." He goes on to tell me that the water treatment and land reclamation project will take up to 80 years to complete. He shows me around water treatment and monitoring facilities, and we drive by plots where various grasses have been planted to "re-green" the area. It seems to be working: the air is alive with hawks hunting the grasses for rodents, and with osprey that prey on fish that have been re-established in the area's waters.

Brian tells me that when the reclamation project is complete, the hole created in extracting ore will become a lake, the tailings pond will become a wetland, and the forest will return to claim the land. "What we're trying to do here," Brian says, "has never really been done before, so we just try things to bring the land back and see if they work. This is new science: we are learning how, and how not, to bring back the land to a healthy state after such an operation."

Brian works with TREPA members on the East Tusket River Monitoring Committee. "TREPA has done a lot of good work in the area," Brian says. "They are good people to work with, and they have important things to say. So, we have a healthy dialogue with them."

My two-hour tour of the waterways and the acres of green fields impresses me. As I drive out the gate past the "No Trespassing" sign, I try to imagine what this spot looks like now from 500 miles up. A fair bit greener, I think, than a few years ago. And likely to just keep on getting greener.

Celebrating Success in Coastal and Rural Nova Scotia

We all read and hear so much about the difficulties facing our small rural and coastal communities that it can be easy to forget that there is also much good being done, every day, by people whose only motivation is the betterment of their communities. Thousands of Nova Scotians all across the province give generously of their time and efforts to help local community groups enrich life in their coastal and rural communities.

Last year, the Coastal Communities Network's (CCN) first annual Proud Community Awards were an inspiration to everyone who attended our 2000 Annual General Meeting. So, when we announced our second annual Proud Community Awards a few months ago, we were swamped with nominations. It was a difficult job, but our panel of judges boiled the nominations down to two finalists in each of four categories: Community Innovation, Resource Management, Seniors, and Youth. Winners and runners-up were honoured during CCN's 2001 Annual General Meeting in Tatamagouche. The winners and runners-up (they are winners, too!) for the 2001 Proud Community Awards were:

Winner: the Stan Rogers Folk Festival volunteers. In the space of five years, this Festival has grown from a dream to a reality that draws thousands of visitors to Canso. This has been made possible only by the huge efforts of Festival volunteers. Of the town's 1,100 people, more than 500 devote themselves to assuring that all runs smoothly. The event has transformed the area's tourism industry, and has pumped approximately $1.3 million into the local economy.

Runner-Up: the Bay Saint Lawrence Community Centre. After more than a year of persistent struggle, in January of 2000 community volunteers received the deed for a school that had been closed in Bay Saint Lawrence. Funds were raised and the building transformed. Since the Community Centre opened, Bay Saint Lawrence has sprung to life with fiddle concerts, bingos, community suppers, card games, pool-and-pizza nights, and adult education programs. Bay Saint Lawrence is enjoying a welcome renaissance.

Winner: the Pictou Landing Mi'Kmaq First Nation and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaqs, for their joint work in developing sustainable forestry practices on a Pictou Landing woodlot. The woodlot has been recognized by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international body of consumer organizations from more than 35 nations. Accepting the Award, Bill McKay, of the provincial First Nations Forestry Association, summed up forestry practices at Pictou Landing: "Our aim has been to create and sustain 'Forests for the Children,' as well as for the present generation.

Runner-Up: the River Hebert, Joggins, and Area Development Association, for its development of the River Hebert Marsh Wastewater Treatment System. Working in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited and various levels of government, the community successfully solved its sewage problem and at the same time developed a wonderful eco-system for marsh birds and other wildlife. Secondary and tertiary marsh areas are an effective natural filter for the community's wastewater. The River Hebert Marsh is the first wetland constructed in Atlantic Canada both to treat wastewater and to provide wildlife habitat.

Winner: Woodrow and Eunice Outhouse, of Tiverton. Through their work over the years with the Tiverton Board of Trade, Woodrow and Eunice were central to the establishment of a trail to The Balancing Rock on Digby Neck. The development of this eco-tourism attraction has added greatly to Digby Neck's appeal to environmental tourists, who also flock to the area to enjoy whale watching and some of the best birding in the province. The Award was presented, not only for the couple's efforts to establish The Balancing Rock Trail, but also for their many other valuable and selfless contributions to the community over the years.

Runner-Up: Reginald "Bud" Johnston, of River Hebert, for his work in developing a Heritage Model centre into a local tourism attraction. Bud began building scale models of heritage buildings in the 1970s, and in the early '90s he donated 24 of them, valued at $78,000, to the community. Since then, Bud has been instrumental in community efforts to finance a building to house the collection. His work has been both an economic boon to the area and a wonderful means by which to preserve and honour the area's heritage.

Winner: The Creative Circle, a theatre group at River Hebert Elementary School, for writing and performing a play to celebrate National Non-Smoking Week called Be Smart, Don't Start. Working entirely on their own, the children developed the play to clearly demonstrate the disadvantages of smoking and the benefits of not smoking. By the end of the play, the smokers destroy their cigarettes, and all agree that they will never smoke again. By working together cooperatively, the children learn to be socially active citizens who care about their community.

Runner-Up: The Fundy Youth Initiative, a group of four young people – Sara Gidney, Shelley Johnson, John Rennick, and Darryl Stone – who developed a wonderful website about the health of Fundy waters and their town of Digby. The site – at http://fyi2000.hypermart.net – encourages young people to learn about both the science of the Fundy and Gulf of Maine area and the social and economic issues related to the use of its resources. Looking at this website, it's crystal clear that these four young people care deeply about the human and ecological communities in which they live.

Along with the Proud Community Awards, CCN also presented long-time community activist Glanville Travis with a special Lifetime Community Tenacity Award for his work over the years. Glanville, a Canning fisherman, has been involved with CCN as a volunteer since its earliest days almost a decade ago. He has also been very active in many other community organizations over the years. But perhaps what makes Glanville so special is the holistic approach he brings to fisheries and all other ecological issues. Glanville developed and promoted such an attitude to the natural world around us long before it became widely recognized as a valuable and useful one.

This year's Proud Community Awards were sponsored by Pam Harrison, in memory of her parents Doris and Jim Barkhouse of River Hebert. Doris was an educator and community leader who made a difference in many lives, while Jim was a businessman and community innovater who helped found the River Hebert Village Commision and the local volunteer fire department. They believed that people working together could accomplish all things. The awards support the young, the elderly, resource management and innovation – all the elements of rural life that were important to the Barkshoue family.

For more information about CCN's Proud Community Awards, please contact Scott Milsom at 445-7168 or e-mail at ccnews@ns.sympatico.ca.

Women and e-Business Taking Flight

In April, 50 rural businesswomen met in six focus groups to learn the basics of e-business, to ask questions, and to share their experiences. These focus groups were the first step in a new initiative of the Women's CED Network – the e-Business for Women Project.

The idea for the Project came from hundreds of rural women who attended meetings, workshops, and a Women in Business Trade Fair sponsored by the Women's CED Network. Participants in these events said they wanted to learn about e-business and have resources available to help them decide if it would work for them.

With funding from Human Resource Development Canada, the Women's CED Network launched the Project as a three-part initiative to support women in rural areas of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). The Project shared information about e-business through focus groups, and it is currently offering sessions to teach basic computer and internet skills. It will also provide ongoing support through the development of an on-line resource and networking website.

The first part of the e-Business for Women Project, the April focus groups were held in the communities of Hackett's Cove, Tantallon, Hubbards, Preston, Musquodoboit Harbour, and Sheet Harbour. Groups such as the Blue Water Development Corporation, Lea Place Women's Centre, and the Preston Women's Empowerment Association played vital roles in reaching businesswomen and hosting focus groups in their communities. Cathy MacDonald of Jactanah's Café in Tantallon, Madeline Myers of Hubbards Cove Inn, and Joanne Rondeau-Wall of the Migrate Inn in Hackett's Cove also helped by referring other businesswomen and hosting focus groups.

The focus groups began with the basics of e-business, followed by an opportunity to give input into the types of materials and resources to be developed. Both general discussion and a questionnaire identified things women want to learn more about in the area of e-business and technology. These sessions also provided an opportunity for networking, and for sharing experiences and know-how. Several requests, such as the following, were made for a continuation of the networking started in the focus groups:

It would be great if this was the start of a Women in Business Association for Musqudoboit Harbour!

It's so good to have a night out with other women, learn something new that's useful, and connect with other businesswomen. I'd like to do this again.

The second phase of the e-Business for Women Project is the Women On-Line (WOL) Program. It offers an opportunity to work with a computer coach to gain or improve computer and internet skills. These sessions are being facilitated by Jeanne Rokosh in the western part of the HRM and by Kim Vance in the eastern area. Local Community Access Points (CAP sites, which offer community access to computers and the internet), have been terrific community partners in the e-Business for Women Project, sometimes opening up for extra hours to make the WOL Program more accessible to our participants, and by generally offering technical support. Jeanne and Kim are very busy providing sessions that range from "How to Turn on a Computer" to web-page design. The coaches work with each woman, building on her skills to increase her overall computer and internet abilities. One woman offered this comment on the coaches:

They are like angels. I got my computer in October but didn't want to touch the thing for fear of breaking it. It was just sitting in a corner. Then, one day, out of the blue, I get a call inviting me to learn about using the internet for business. I started to say "No," but then she said there were also free computer and internet sessions that would coach me to get comfortable and learn what I need to know. I couldn't believe it! I really feel comfortable now.

The WOL sessions are very popular, with more than 100 women attending since April. The program runs until the end of June, though many women have asked that we continue the sessions this coming fall.

The third part of the e-Business for Women Project will provide ongoing support for women business owners. Materials such as e-business checklists, technical guides, and self-help booklets are being developed, as is an on-line resource-and-networking site. A website will allow businesswomen to share information and expertise on-line, and will give them to access materials and resources on a wide range of subjects. It will include resources and links on e-business and community-based economic development, as well as a business bulletin board, newsletters, and more. Watch for the launch of the site this coming October.

The response to the e-Business for Women Project has been very positive, as women embrace technology for their businesses. The strengths of the Project, and the foundations of its success, are that it offers skill-support and information at times that fit women's busy schedules, that it provides child-care, elder-care, and transportation subsidies, and that it values women by incorporating their ideas in resource development. Our thanks to the many participants and communities involved in the e-Business for Women Project.

The e-Business for Women Project is an initiative of the Women's CED Network. For more information call Terri Whetstone, Project Coordinator, at (902) 228-2007 or email whetstone.scarth@ns.sympatico.ca.

History in Our Schools: See Jane Cheered

Jane Purves, Nova Scotia's Minister of Education, has come in for some pretty hard knocks during her brief two years in office. Soon after she took over the Minister's desk, students, teachers, and other community members concerned about education cutbacks descended on Province House demanding her head. Regional school boards have repeatedly complained about the lack of resources given them. People in small rural and coastal communities have expressed fears that their local schools, in many cases the cornerstone of community life, might be closed as a result of decisions made in Purves' office.

These are serious issues that demand solutions, but here I am going to buck that trend of knocking Ms. Purves. The reason I'm going to praise her involves my 25-year-old nephew, Kris, and the thousands of young Nova Scotians like him. Kris is a bright young man, a product of the province's education system of the 1980s and '90s. He came out of that education system lacking knowledge in one important area: history. It's a great embarrassment to Kris that he has no idea at all of the shaping of Canada or Nova Scotia over the centuries. Ask him when the last century's two world wars took place, and all he can do is blush and mumble.

But Kris' lack of knowledge is not at all his fault. Back in the Dark Ages when I went through the province's school system, history was a compulsory subject, beginning in Grade 6 and continuing every year until graduation. However, over the past 20 or 30 years the importance of history in the provincial education curriculum has been steadily downgraded, and it finally got to the point that bright young people like Kris could pass through the entire system without learning a stick of history.

It got so bad that, by the 1999-2000 school year, less than one percent of Grade 12 students in Nova Scotia were enrolled in Canadian history courses. But things are set to change: Jane Purves has announced that students graduating from the province's schools will take with them a grounding in Canadian history. A high-school course in Canadian history will become compulsory, beginning next year.

So, hurray for Jane Purves! Over the years, our coastal and rural communities have faced many challenges. Sometimes those challenges have been met, and communities have prospered. But all too often, those challenges have been too difficult to overcome, and so young people have been forced to go elsewhere in search of work. This has been going on for generations. In my grandfather's day, the provincial economy went down the toilet after World War I (that was 1914-18, Kris), and young people moved away, largely to "The Boston States," to find work. In my father's time, after World War II (1939-45, Kris), it was to the industrial heartland of Ontario that Nova Scotians and other Maritimers were forced to move for work. For my generation, it was the oilfields of Alberta that beckoned.

For Kris' generation, there hasn't yet emerged one specific area to draw people away from our coastal and rural communities. In fact, there are many people making many efforts to create the jobs needed to keep young people in our communities. We all wish these efforts well. But in order for us to know where we're going, we also need to know where we've been. The re-introduction of a mandatory history course is a big step in that direction. It's just too bad that for, Kris, it came ten years late.

CCN Stands Up for the Fisheries of the Future

Late this past winter, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), released a discussion paper, The Management of Fisheries on Canada's Atlantic Coast, and invited concerned individuals and organizations to respond to its recommendations and observations. This was part of a much broader review of fisheries management policy Ottawa is undertaking. The Coastal Communities Network responded with the following document in mid-May.

The Coastal Communities Network (CCN) was founded in 1992 in response to the downturn in the fisheries and its effect on Nova Scotia's coastal communities. CCN membership currently consists of more than 200 coastal and rural organizations across the province, including numerous fisheries-related organizations. CCN believes that Atlantic fisheries policy must focus on the viability, sustainability, and well-being of coastal fishing communities through the following four central means:

These recommendations are based on in-depth consultations with CCN member organizations, including a workshop at our Annual General Meeting in April, 2001 and on-line discussions throughout the period since the release of DFO's Discussion Paper. (This document can be found online at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/afpr-rppa/home_e.htm.) The balance of this brief will consist of two sections. The first is made up of general comments on the Discussion Paper and the Atlantic Fisheries Policy Review (AFPR) process. The second consists of a detailed presentation of CCN's recommendations to the AFPR.

In general, CCN believes that the AFPR appears to have been structured in a way that predetermines its outcomes. This has been apparent in both the consultation sessions and the Discussion Paper itself. In the public consultations, statements made by DFO officials have indicated that certain key policy issues, such as privatization and reallocation, have already been ruled beyond the scope of the review. The Discussion Paper also seems to pre-define the debate on any future policy framework, largely by means of what it has left out. Three key gaps lead us to this conclusion:

To address this last point, the four key elements of CCN's position are discussed under the four headings given in the Discussion Paper.

1) Provide a clear policy framework for the extension of community-based management practices throughout the fisheries.

By community-based management, CCN means management in which everyone involved in the fishery and members of fishing communities have the primary role in the stewardship of the resource. This stewardship would be based on transparent, democratic decision-making, an ecosystem approach, and inclusive and accountable self-governance structures.

CCN agrees with the Discussion Paper's proposal "to incorporate both a precautionary and an ecosystem approach to fisheries management." Local stewardship, which results from community-based management, is the only way to include coastal communities in this process. This will provide the critical elements of local ecological knowledge and local participation, without which these approaches will never succeed.

It is critical that the word "viability" be defined broadly in this context. If "viability" is defined simply in terms of the economic value of landed fish, it could mean that the economic benefits accrue to very few individuals and companies, leaving thousands of inshore fishermen, their families, and their communities dependent upon federal income transfers. There is no "viability" here, from either the standpoint of communities or of Canadian taxpayers.

CCN agrees with the Discussion Paper's general movement toward "greater flexibility" in decision making. However, to limit this to "fleets and licence holders" immediately excludes many groups economically involved in the fishery, including onshore workers, women, crew members, and many others. Community-based management provides a means of including groups in the decision-making process according to their degree of involvement in the fishery. This process is what will assure the community's real social and economic viability.

The paper's statement that "Fisheries decision-making should be shared" begs the important question: shared with whom? From the perspective of many CCN member organizations, if this sharing is limited to "government and industry," it will simply be a continuation of the established, and closed, decision-making processes shared among powerful players in the fisheries and DFO officials. It is just such established processes that have characterized so much fisheries decision making in the past. Community-based management would provide a mechanism for creating the new public partnerships and participation required for the fisheries of the future. CCN also supports the Paper's assertion that "decision making in the fishery be made as close as possible to that fishery." This simply underlines the need for a firm policy commitment to community-based management.

2) Review and accordingly revise the policy of privatization of stocks, and its effects on coastal communities.

Privatization of fisheries resources through Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) and Enterprise Allocations (EAs) has often been the unwritten cornerstone of fisheries policy for the last twenty years. The vast majority of people and organizations in Nova Scotia's coastal communities oppose ITQs and EAs because of their destructive effects on both communities and the resources they depend on. CCN calls for a review of privatization, and for implementation of the recommendations of the December, 1998 Senate Report titled Privatization and Quota Licensing in Canada's Fisheries, before any new policy framework is completed.

CCN believes that privatization has undermined efforts at conservation by encouraging discarding, high-grading, and mis-reporting. Privatization must be carefully scrutinized as an essential part of the AFPR. Privatization of the resource also presents a formidable obstacle to the implementation of integrated resource management as outlined in the Oceans Act. Because stocks have been privatized by species, their "owners" have very little interest in looking beyond their "property," at looking beyond their particular percentage of the Total Allowable Catch of a given species.

Privatization has undermined the economic and social viability of many inshore fisheries by concentrating ownership in a few hands, and by allowing "owners" of the resource to benefit economically without fishing at all, simply by leasing or selling their quota. And so crews of inactive vessels are unnecessarily driven out of the fishery, at great cost to communities and taxpayers.

CCN applauds the call for "a more open, transparent process for involving interested parties in deciding the best uses of the fisheries resource." This reallocation must be based on historical attachment, rather than on dubious "catch history" data, or on the degree of clout any one interest might have in Ottawa.

By reversing the trend toward privatization, Ottawa can help the small-boat sector and its communities assure that resources are managed in a sustainable manner that recognizes the interrelated nature of our resources.

3) Clearly support and protect the independence of the small-boat inshore sector of the fishery though an unequivocal fleet-separation policy. (Loopholes that allow processors to control licences and allocations must be plugged.)

Although existing polices are, theoretically, based on fleet-separation policies, DFO has allowed these to be eroded and undermined throughout Nova Scotia's fisheries. CCN is disturbed at the lack of mention of fleet-separation and owner-operator policies in the AFPR Discussion Paper. We believe such policies are critical to the viability and sustainability of the fisheries in Nova Scotia, and in the Maritimes as a whole.

The owner-operator sector of the fisheries uses the most conservative gear types and should be protected on conservation grounds.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, small businesses create more than 70 percent of Canadian jobs. The fisheries are made up of small businesses. We believe the policy framework as it is presently carried out undermines the most economically viable part of the fishery: small business.

Separation of processors from the harvesting sector will help assure that the small-boat sector and its communities remain viable entities, both economically and socially.

Increased local responsibility for stewardship and responsibility requires the broad participation of both the inshore sector and coastal communities. As is shown many times each year, when fishermen participate in developing management plans and accept their role in upholding those plans, adherence to the plans and the conservation of stocks are both improved.

Self-regulation and self-discipline should always be the first-line in adherence. Cooperation in the Bay of Fundy as described in the booklet Writing the Rules of Ecological Fisheries Management in the Bay of Fundy clearly shows that fishers and others in coastal communities can work together to govern themselves.

4) Assure that resource allocation will provide access to the resource to the inshore sector and its communities, thus providing a basis for their resurgence and revitalization.

CCN agrees that allocation should be reviewed according to the criteria outlined in DFO's AFPR brochure titled "Historical Attachment, Adjacency, Fairness, Equity, Economic Viability." This does not mean that all allocations should go to inshore fleets, but rather that allocations should be sufficient to allow for the resurgence and revitalization of inshore fisheries and their communities.

Re-allocation of fisheries resources based on community viability and sustainability must not contravene any of the key points outlined by the Discussion Paper as part of "conservation" initiatives.

For almost ten years, the work of CCN as "A Large Voice for Small Communities" has been focussed on the sustainability and viability of Nova Scotia's coastal communities. The inshore fisheries are the economic mainstay of these communities. Again and again, these communities have seen how corporate, industrial ownership and privatized access to the resource have usually rewarded a select few in these communities, largely dispersing wealth from the fisheries to interests outside these communities. Increasingly, this trend has resulted in stripping the communities of their access to the resource itself.

We recognize DFO's leading role in fisheries conservation. But there is much doubt in Nova Scotia's coastal communities about who DFO really works for. There is a strong suspicion that future policies will be tilted in favour of the most powerful interests in the fisheries. The only way DFO will regain its credibility in Nova Scotia's coastal communities is to demonstrate a clear commitment to their economic and social viability, their sustainability, through support for the inshore fisheries.

Any meaningful review of fisheries policy must include a review of both existing and new allocations based on historical attachment, adjacency, fairness, equity, and economic viability.

Many communities are making efforts to take on a greater role in fisheries decision making at the local level. However, these effort will wither on the vine if they are starved of adequate access to the resource.

For more information on CCN and its position on the Atlantic Fisheries Policy Review, contact Scott Milsom at 445-7168, or e-mail ccnews@ns.sympatico.ca.

Women, Martians, and Equality

I recently attended a Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), consultation in Moncton about fisheries management in Atlantic Canada. I was there with Mary DesRoches, representing the Nova Scotia Women's FishNet. Our presentation covered issues in a DFO discussion document that would affect women in coastal communities and women employed in the fishery. After our presentation and many others, a representative of a New Brunswick draggers' association delivered a heated stream of negative comments. He ended with an outburst of anger that was apparently brought on by our presentation: "And then," he sputtered, while a woman's voice in our headphones politely attempted to simultaneously translate his frustration, "And then, there are some people who think that women – women! – should sit at the decision-making table. Well, if this is the case, we might as well invite the Martians to have a seat as well!"

Later in the discussion, we were talking about the economic and social viability of the fishery and how the term "stakeholders" should be defined. Mary and I both said that anyone who is directly or indirectly affected by the fishery, or who has a historical attachment to the fishery, should be involved in policy decisions. We added that this would obviously include women, who are key stakeholders in the sustainability of coastal communities and fishing families, and who have always participated in many aspects of the fishery. We were then told by a member of DFO's Policy Review Committee that he was now aware of our opinions, but that DFO was proposing something different in its discussion document.

At that point, I seriously considered leaving the room to take a quick drive down to the local costume shop for a "Martian" outfit. I would then return to ask the same question, as a Martian representing Martians, and suggesting that Martians are also stakeholders and so they should have a say in fisheries policy. After all, I'd tell the meeting, Martians could have a lot to gain if the fishery continues to be privatized and professionalized. In future, when inter-planetary travel becomes easier, Martians might well want to buy some boats and quota, enroll in some training and safety workshops, and head out to make some money. We might even give the Martians some seed money, if they promised to buy a lot of quota and hire a small percentage of local earthlings for a few months to show them the ropes.

Needless to say, I didn't leave and then return as a Martian. But I do think that within this consultation framework, a Martian might quite rightly have been given the same response Mary and I received: "Thank you for your opinion, but we are not proposing that Martians have a significant role at this point in time." Which leads me to the question: Are women and Martians, in fact, similar? I know that I don't think we are, and I know that most women, and many friends and families of women, don't think we are, but what about the general opinion, the status quo, the majority, the – "average Joe"? What about the average politician or bureaucrat?

This question only becomes really interesting when we consider what the answer's consequences are. I suppose that if women are like Martians, we might not need to be treated as humans or be given similar opportunities to men. This could save the government a lot of money. We, as a nation, could certainly save on Employment Insurance, training, salaries, health care, and education. We could simply ensure that every woman/Martian got paired off with a husband, and as long as he was well looked after, she/it wouldn't starve, and might even have a nice life. On the other hand, if women are humans, we might want jobs and training, and we would probably want to make some decisions about what's best for our families, our communities, and ourselves. We might even get together and brainstorm about how we could influence policies that were unfair to women and fishing families, or that were detrimental to community sustainability. Now and then, you might even see a woman presenting some of these ideas at a policy consultation.

But before I get too far ahead of myself, getting into details about how women in coastal communities are affected by fisheries policies, Employment Insurance regulations, or the accessibility of training programs – and before I outline any of the ideas or solutions that women have proposed to build community sustainability and social and economic development – we need to ensure that the framework exists for women to be acknowledged as full and equal participants and decision makers in our communities. What is frightfully depressing is that we don't yet seem to be in agreement about the basic fact that needs to be understood before we can go any further – the fact that women are not like Martians.

Perhaps, if we can all agree to this, we'll start to see the need for some changes. In Nova Scotia's coastal communities today, many women are not given the same opportunities as men. Many women are unfairly excluded from benefits such as Employment Insurance and training opportunities, and from participation in key policy decisions that affect our lives. Women's work, both paid and unpaid, must be recognized as contributing to the economic stability of our communities. Women's voices must be considered as relevant and important when we are exploring solutions to the many challenges our communities face.

Because it was at a DFO policy consultation that I was forced to question my identity as a human being, I will end by throwing the resulting questions back out for the consideration of our government representatives: Who are you representing? Are you representing equally both men's and women's concerns? What is guiding you to represent an industry as a closed circuit of "professionals" and corporations rather than as environments, communities, and the people really affected by the fisheries? Also, who are you willing to discuss these questions with, and how will you consider all the different points of view seriously? I hope we can answer some of these most basic questions soon, so we can start working together to discover solutions to some of the more interesting and meaningful challenges facing our coastal communities.

The Nova Scotia Women's FishNet was established in 1995 as a provincial network of women and women's groups concerned about the sustainability of coastal communities and the impact of recent changes in the fisheries on women, on their families, and on their communities. Ariella Pahlke is the Coordinator of the FishNet's "Strategies for Action Project," which is working to identify policy issues affecting women's economic stability and independence, and to advocate for change. To find out more about the Nova Scotia Women's FishNet or about the Strategies for Action Project, contact us at (902) 425-4525 or at 2099 Gottingen Street, Halifax, N.S., B3K 3B2.

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The "Sins" of Jean Nickerson: Preserving Lands and Waters

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Women and e-Business Taking Flight

History in Our Schools: See Jane Cheered

CCN Stands Up for the Fisheries of the Future

Women, Martians, and Equality

Coastal Communities News

Join the Coastal Communities Network

Our Mission Statement

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

How to Become Involved
in the Coastal Communities Network

The "Sins" of Jean Nickerson: Preserving Lands and Waters

Greening of a Scar

Celebrating Success in Coastal and Rural Nova Scotia

Women and e-Business Taking Flight

History in Our Schools: See Jane Cheered

CCN Stands Up for the Fisheries of the Future

Women, Martians, and Equality

Coastal Communities News

Join the Coastal Communities Network

Our Mission Statement

"A Large Voice for Small Communities"

How to Become Involved in the Coastal Communities Network

How to Become Involved
in the Coastal Communities Network