KSNC Stewardship Plan

In 2016, after a series of facilitated committee and community workshops, the KSNC stewardship plan was drafted.  As part of their consultation process, the KSNC established the following priorities for achieving their vision:

  • Gather Knowledge – Community/Traditional Knowledge;
  • Share Knowledge – Educating our communities;
  • Bring Communities Together – Building cohesiveness;
  • Engage Youth – Educating and involving the sturgeon stewards of the future; and
  • Build Community Commitment to Sturgeon Conservation.

These priorities were used to establish short and long term goals for the KSNC Stewardship Plan.

Build community commitment to sturgeon conservation

Goals

Short-term goals to be achieved within three years include:

  • To gather information and develop a message
  • To spread our message

Medium-term goals to be achieved within the next five years include:

  • To bring communities together
  • To engage youth

The long-term goal of the KSNC is:

  • To achieve community commitment to sturgeon conservation.
The KSNC Stewardship Plan

Strategies

The initial emphasis of the KSNC Stewardship Plan will be on sharing information and education. As information is generated and disseminated the KSNC will advocate for measures that directly help to conserve and enhance stocks.

KSNC members have suggested that a “coproduction” approach be considered for implementation of the Stewardship Plan. Such an approach brings together local and traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge and will enable community members to lead the generation of information for implementation and evaluation. This is an approach that the committee will explore as it selects, develops and implements its stewardship strategies. It is also an approach that the KSNC can advocate for in research and monitoring activities conducted by other groups and organizations.

The KSNC will focus on the following strategies, in order of priority, during the course of this Stewardship Plan. It is expected that these strategies will be used as a guide to select programs for implementation in annual work plans. Several of the strategies, focusing on traditional knowledge, information sharing and youth, are overlapping.

1. Gather Information and Traditional Knowledge and Develop a Conservation Message

The KSNC will:

  • Gather Traditional Knowledge on Lake Sturgeon from elders, resource users, youth and community members;
  • Compile existing research, studies and reports to establish a comprehensive repository of information on Lake Sturgeon;
  • Strive to remain informed on the most up-to-date monitoring and research results from the Nelson River;
  • Develop a message with regard to conservation of lower Nelson River Lake Sturgeon; and
  • Advocate for research and monitoring to be undertaken by other groups to expand our understanding of Lake Sturgeon in the Nelson River.

2. Share our message

The KSNC will:

  • Use a variety of media such as a website, brochures, pamphlets, posters, promotional items, and a calendar, and will organize events such as open houses, public forums, and band meetings to spread the Committee message of sturgeon conservation.

3. Bring Communities Together

The KSNC will:

  • Organize events such as local workshops, summer gatherings, community feasts forums or community field trips that will bring communities together in relation to Lake Sturgeon conservation initiatives.

4. Engage Youth

The KSNC will:

  • Engage youth through special projects, scholarships, apprenticeship programs, field trips, and camps; and
  • Advocate for training of youth in research and monitoring undertaken by other groups.

The KSNC will encourage and facilitate the transfer of knowledge within families (e.g., from elders to their grandchildren), as well as have elders teach traditional skills to youth in their community.

5. Conserve and Enhance Populations

The KSNC will:

  • Advocate for responsible harvesting;
  • Advocate for stocking, habitat enhancement and protection measures undertaken by other groups; and
  • Advocate for coproduction of monitoring and research undertaken by other groups.

The KSNC views its role primarily as an advocate for Lake Sturgeon in the Nelson River. The Committee will take a proactive approach to Lake Sturgeon conservation by promoting responsible harvesting. It will also promote community buy-in to sturgeon conservation. It does not view itself as a primary deliverer of scientific research and monitoring programs. However, where appropriate, it will advocate for enhancement and protection measures undertaken by other groups and for coproduction of those activities.