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Archived – Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative
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November 2007
The Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (AICFI) was announced in Budget 2007. This program aims to ensure that Mi'kmaq and Maliseet First Nations in the Maritimes and Gaspé Region of Quebec (MMFNs) have the capabilities to manage and maximize access to the integrated commercial fishery that has been provided through the Marshall Response Initiative.
The new program will assist MMFNs to continue building their capacity, to plan and manage successful commercial fishing enterprises and to participate in fisheries co-management.
Specifically the new funding of $20 million over two years will provide support for:
- Enhancing management, administrative and operations capacity that will help build and maximize access to the integrated commercial fishery;
- Participation in the co-management of the integrated commercial fishery;
- Application of the electronic Fisheries Management System;
- Involvement with and direction of ongoing at-sea and in-class training/mentoring and other capacity building activities;
- Existing commercial fishing enterprise diversification through minor upgrades to fisheries infrastructure (vessel upgrade, harvesting and onshore equipment improvements) and other needs.
The Atlantic Policy Congress and watershed-based groups will facilitate a large part of the program's capacity-building activities.
A further goal of the AICFI initiative is to continue to create positive conditions for longer term arrangements with MMFNs under the process led by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
The Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Marshall case in 1999 affects 34 MMFN in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. One result of the federal response was that many communities initiated or expanded their involvement in the commercial fisheries. MMFNs now hold an estimated 1300 commercial fishing licences, constituting 520 fishing enterprises.
B-HQ-07-60E(a)
