Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Fisheries support food systems, livelihoods and economies, health and well-being, culture and identity, and much more, for people all around the world. As global climate change and other environmental stressors disrupt fisheries, the consequences can be far reaching. As Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Fisheries Science, Dr. Andrea Reid of the Nisga’a Nation is turning to Indigenous fisheries approaches to find sustainable fishing solutions. She is building an inclusive and equitable approach to science that is respectful, reciprocal, relevant, and responsible to all involved in the fishing systems she studies. Dr. Reid and her research team along with Indigenous community partners are guided by the Mi’kmaw concept of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing), bringing together Western and Indigenous sciences and tools for the benefit of all. With a focus on culturally-significant fish, such as Pacific salmon, they are running real-world fisheries experiments and using probabilistic modelling tools to synthesize data and knowledge on the state and future of Indigenous fisheries. They are also bringing Etuaptmumk to bear on fisheries-based conflicts on Canada’s East and West Coasts, creating tools to transform conservation conflict in the future. Ultimately, Dr. Reid’s research will inform a long-term vision for fisheries sustainability and equitability in Canada and beyond.