The Abegweit First Nation takes great pride in the care of its lands and natural resources through its Natural Resources Department. The Natural Resources Department partners with the Province of PEI and various Federal departments to address the primary areas of fisheries, forestry, stream enhancement, conservation, and the Emergency Measures Organization (EMO).
Abegweit’s EMO has been leading the country in many areas. The EMO team is continually innovating, developing, and implementing new strategies to keep the entire Abegweit community safe from any potential hazards that may face the community and its members (COVID-19, inclement weather, etc.).
Abegweit exercises its traditional rights through the food and ceremonial fisheries and also has its own fleet of fishing vessels that proudly employs a number of its own community members in its commercial fisheries that includes the following:
- Lobster;
- Snow crab;
- Rock crab;
- Mackerel;
- Tuna; and
- Silverside.
In the delivery of its various initiatives, Abegweit’s Natural Resources Department is involved with the following partners:
- Aboriginal Fishery Strategy (AFS);
- Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fishery Initiative (AICFI);
- Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk (AFSAR);
- Aboriginal Aquaculture in Canada Initiative (AACI);
- Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management (AAROM);
- Community Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP);
- PEI Forests, Fish and Wildlife;
- PEI Agriculture and Land;
- PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund;
- Abegweit Biodiversity Enhancement Hatchery; and
- Abegweit Conservation Society.