Fish-WIKS Research Project

We have a new website! Check it out at www.dal.ca/fishwiks

Meet Fish-WIKS' newest Community Liaison Coordinators.

Dwayne Naskawa (Inland Region) - Dwayne has been the Chief Executive Officer of Nipissing First Nation, located on the shores of Lake Nipissing in northern Ontario since January 2004. He has spent his career working in First Nations in senior roles in the areas of natural resources development, treaty research, governance, and administration. Dwayne has led various tripartite negotiations including the Ontario First Nations Policing Agreement and the development of the Anishinabek/Ontario Resource Management Council.

Jade Owen (Arctic Region) - Jade joined the Fish-WIKS team in November 2016 as the community liaison coordinator for Naujaat. She graduated with a BA in political science and economics from the University of Victoria, and is currently pursuing a graduate degree from Concordia University. Originally from Chilliwack BC, she now lives in Iqaluit where she works for the Department of Environment’s fisheries and sealing division.

On October 26, 2016, Oceana Canada held its first scientific forum, Rebuilding Abundance – Restoring Canada’s fisheries for long-term prosperity. Fish-WIKS was well represented by Principal Investigator, Dr. Lucia Fanning, and Steering Committee members Shelley Denny, Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources and Audrey Mayes, Assembly of First Nations.

During the Forum in Ottawa, The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced that his department has released key information on the status of Canadian fish stocks, sharing the results of an annual Sustainability Survey for Fisheries, and investing additional funds to increase science capacity.

Congratulations to Fish-WIKS Masters student, Erin Keenan, who officially graduated from Dalhousie University with a Master of Marine Management degree on June 1, 2016. Erin did not attend the ceremony as she was in Naujaat with other members of the Fish-WIKS team for a planning session and to present her research findings to the community. To recognize this milestone, Principal Investigator, Dr. Lucia Fanning, presented Erin with a caribou antler carving created by a Nunavut artist.