by Marc laframboise, marclaframboise@gmail.com
Plant Employees Processing Frozen Snow Crab.
The largest Mi’kmaw community in the world with close to 4000 community members is located in the heart of the picturesque and magnificent region of Bras d’Or Lakes in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Eskasoni First Nation is also home to one of the most dynamic and successful commercial fishery enterprises (CFE) in the region, known as Crane Cove Seafoods.
Eskasoni First Nation harvests several million pounds of fish annually within the inshore Atlantic fishery. The harvest is made up mainly of snow crab, shrimp and haddock. A dedicated community re-investment strategy has led to growth in access. Crane Cove Seafoods now has 32 fishing licenses including 14 snow crab licenses in Area 23 and Area 24, 11 shrimp licenses in SFA 13, 14 and 15 and one ground fish (haddock) license in Area 5Z of Georges Bank.
Harvesting operations are conducted in seven community-owned fishing vessels ...
