Improving the American Eel Fishery through the Incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into Policy Level Decision Making in Canada

Effective management of ecosystems, natural resources, and harvesting practices is essential for ecosystem health and the sustainable use of marine resources. Although the value, importance, and benefits of the incorporation of indigenous knowledge (IK), particularly of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into western science-policy decision-making have been well recognized over the past few decades, suitable mechanisms for collecting and incorporating indigenous knowledge into policy level decision making are not yet well understood. This research uses a case study approach to examine the Canadian government’s assessment process for the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, as well as the community level management process for the fishery in Eskasoni First Nation, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This case study allows for an exploration of how and if indigenous knowledge are integrated into these processes while identifying challenges and possible mechanisms for its meaningful integration into policy level decision-making. The various parts of an indigenous knowledge system (IKS) that are integrated at the community level into the management of the American eel in Eskasoni are compared and contrasted to the IKS that is integrated into the government’s assessment processes.