With the elver harvesting season on the line, some Mi'kmaw chiefs are scrambling for options

Some Mi'kmawleadersare giving the federal government a March 8 deadline to respond to an elver fishery proposal they submitted two months ago, even as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says it wants to shut down the baby eelharvesting season in 2024.

Fisheries MinisterDiane Lebouthillierhas said that due to violence, threats,widespread unauthorized harvestingandpotential harm to elverstocksthe season should becancelledbecause it was"not possible to have a safe and sustainable elver fishery."

Key elements of theMi'kmawproposal include monitoringtotal allowable catches, enhancingtraceability using GPSand responsibly managing thefishery. It would also doubletheir total allowable catch.

GeraldToney, fisheries co-lead for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaqChiefs,said communitiesstill needto discuss futureplans and whether harvesters will continue to fisheven with a ban in place.

"Leadership is just here to support all our community members, and what that looks like right now I have no idea,"Toney said.

"We're trying to work through this, now we're just ... we're scrambling," Toney said. "It's leaving us, all our communities wondering what... impacts that they have for sure."

In a rare joint interview, the chiefs spoke with CBCNews on Friday.Toney was joined by fisheries co-lead for the assembly, ChiefWilbert Marshall of the Potlotek First Nation, We'koqma'q First Nation Chief Annie Bernard-Daisley and co-chair Sidney Peters to discuss potential impacts of a closure andalso to planahead.

Earlier this month,Lebouthilliergave all licence holders until last Friday to respond to the notice to close the 2024 elver fishery.

The assembly'sproposal would see eight Mi'kmaw communities in Nova Scotia sharea3,600-kilogram total allowable catch, or 36 per cent of the allotted 9,960-kilogramannual Maritimequota. That would marka massive increase from the 14 per cent made available to sixWolastoqeycommunities in New Brunswick andfour Mi'kmaw communities in Nova Scotiain 2023.

Based on surveys, the assembly said they expect to seebetween 527 to 780 harvesters on45 rivers and streams to ensure "safe inclusive spaces for Mi'kmaq participants."

"It's just going through all of our communities now that it's potentially going to be shut down and people are just in disbelief," Toneyadded. "So many people count on those dollars that offset numerous things."

Millbrook First Nation, which was not part of the assembly's proposal,also responded Monday, expressing their disappointment with the "continued lack of consultation."

DFO said closing the season is needed to protect the eel population from uncontrolled harvesting. It shut down the season in 2023 and 2020, citing problems with poaching.

In another release sent to CBC News, the chief and council of We'koqma'q L'nue'katiin Cape Breton said if the commercial fishery is banned,illegal harvesting could leadto thedemise of elvers and the American eel population.

"Well, it's pretty hard to prepare for something that you didn't see coming until a couple weeks before," saidBernard-Daisley. "The potential impacts are tremendous."

According to the release, We'koqma'q L'nue'katiholdsa communal commercial elverlicence to harvest1,200 kilograms of which 400 kilogramsare located on the Gold River, one of the rivers whereDFOsaid illegal harvesting promptedlast year's shutdown.

In the meeting, Bernard-Daisley expressed frustration at the potential shutdown because thatrevenue helps fund their economy, housing, food banks, and other initiatives thatimpact their youth and elders. Programs liketeaching the Mi'kmaw language and culture rely on this funding.

We'koqma'qmade anet revenue of approximately $4 million USannually from elver fishing, the First Nationsaidin anews release.

The assembly worries that without an open and authorized fishery, they would lose the positive momentumgained over the past three years for Mi'kmaw harvesters.

Peters also suggestedthe government and the general public need more education about Indigenousrights, saying it's upsetting that thatcommunicationhasbroken down.

"And this is one of the things we've been trying to do, but it's also frustrating that the government of the day doesn't really want to meet with us," Peters said.

"When you're dealing with dollars and cents, it makes a big difference and as Chief Annie had to say in regards to the impacts to her community, 'holy commolly, it's very frustrating when all of a sudden the federal government comes up and does this without any consultation with us.'"