With its commercial fishing industry “devastated” by COVID-19 and unemployment on the rise, the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation has come up with a way to assist both its fishermen and community members during the pandemic.
The First Nation on the Bruce Peninsula is purchasing whitefish and salmon from its fishermen and donating vacuum-sealed fillets to food banks and other organizations at Neyaashiinigmiing and other parts of Ontario, including in nearby Wiarton and at Saugeen First Nation.
“It’s helping out the fishermen that don’t really have much of a market, so they’re looking for somewhere they can bring their fish. And then it’s also helping out community members with access to a good, healthy food. And, on top of that, within the community itself, having that food available means there’s not so many trips needed outside of the community and the chance of picking up the virus,” Ryan Lauzon, a commercial fisheries assessment biologist with the Chippewas of Nawash Fisheries Assessment Program, said in an interview.
Chief Greg Nadjiwon said council has been completely supportive of the initiative and intends to make it an ongoing program during the pandemic.
“We’re lining up other centres to assist,” he said, referring to the friendship and cultural centres and food banks that are receiving the fish.
Nadjiwon said about 30 commercial fishermen reside at Neyaashiinigmiing, north of Wiarton.
Spring and fall are the busiest times for the industry locally.
Normally, a lot of the harvested fish is sold to wholesalers that supply restaurants and markets. But the closure of and restrictions on those businesses due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has devastated the commercial fishing industry, according to a news release from the First Nation.
The Chippewas of Nawash council has decided to redirect the supply of fish to food banks, which is, among other things, helping to address food insecurity, which is particularly important at this time due to the rise in unemployment from business closures, the release said.
The community has provided about 2,500 pounds of fillets to the Chippewas of Nawash food bank and about 200 pounds of fillets to three other local organizations – the Wiarton Salvation Army food bank, M’Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre in Owen Sound and the Saugeen First Nation food bank.
Another 500 pounds of fillets have been shipped to the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre.
Capt. Mary Millar of the Wiarton Salvation Army said the donation has been a “real bright light” during this difficult time for people who use the organization’s food bank.
“People have been overjoyed to see fresh fish because we don’t typically have things like that. Our clients have felt so happy and blessed when the option was offered,” she said.
Nadjiwon said a lot of Chippewas of Nawash members live in urban centres and other parts of Ontario, so making the donations to friendship centres and other service-delivery organizations that work with Indigenous populations is a good way to provide the fish to those members.
“Fish has always been a Number 1 food source for our members and I know that the membership in urban areas don’t have the same access as we do in-community. I do know that they have it when they’re not having to stay at home – they venture up to the territory and get their supply of fish,” he said.
The initiative also allows the community’s fishermen to remain employed, he said.
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