Third-Eye Science: academia, fisheries and First Nations

Fishing weirs have traditionally fostered a unique setting of communal support, food sustenance, and sense of place. The Bramber Weir in Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, is both a commercial weir and a centre for learning about local... [ view full abstract ]

Fishing weirs have traditionally fostered a unique setting of communal support, food sustenance, and sense of place. The Bramber Weir in Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, is both a commercial weir and a centre for learning about local wildlife and habitats. Originating as a commercial site, the weir has now expanded to include traditional, local and academic knowledge, "Third-Eye Science,” hosted under the umbrella of the Marine Institute of Natural and Academic Science (MINAS). The incorporation of traditional knowledge in conservation, research, and management is unique among Fundy weirs, helping maintain the productivity and vitality of ecosystems from which Indigenous communities draw their livelihoods and sense of community.

This film documents the partnership between MINAS, a grassroots organization composed of community stakeholders, including First Nations, dedicated to improving the integration of traditional knowledge into academic-led research, and the Dalhousie University-based Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), a global science platform focused on using acoustic telemetry to track the movements and survival of aquatic species.

Integrating “Third-Eye Science” with acoustic telemetry provides a greater capacity to track biodiversity, and to document the movements and survival of aquatic species in response to anthropogenic stressors. MINAS and the Bramber Weir are leaders in generating community-driven data (citizen science), knowledge mobilization and management actions that address concerns at the ecosystem level, by those who understand it best--the people that live there.