For more than a decade, Elders from a number of communities in the Northwest Territories have helped De Beers Canada monitor the health of fish in lakes near our operations.
The traditional knowledge fish tasting program has been held regularly at the Snap Lake Mine site since 2008 and occurred annually at the Gahcho Kué Mine since 2016. The event supplements science-based monitoring to ensure fish near the mine sites remain healthy and safe to eat. The Gahcho Kué event was held Aug. 28 at the Ni Hadi Xa (NHX) monitoring cabin on Fletcher Lake and at Snap Lake on Sept. 6. NHX is the collaborative environmental monitoring agency struck between De Beers and five Indigenous communities.
Elders catch fish used in the tasting in Snap Lake for that location, while fish caught for the Gahcho Kué tasting program are caught by Elders in Kirk Lake, downstream from the mine. Participants are selected by community liaisons in each community and many have taken part for several years.
“This year’s Gahcho Kué fish tasting event exceeded all expectations,” said Guylaine Ross, a De Beers Environment and Permitting Data Analyst who helped coordinate the activities. “Our main focus was to get the Elders safely to the cabin and enjoy a day out on the land. We had a lot of help planning and organizing the event, resulting in overall success.”
At Gahcho Kué, the fishers caught nine lake trout. Elders were asked to examine the fish for colour, texture, and firmness. A number of fillets were then boiled in water without any salt, oil or butter and participants were asked to taste the boiled fish.
Elders reported that the fish tasted good and that they were typical of trout found in shallow lakes on the Arctic tundra. A number of samples were taken by the Gahcho Kué Mine environment team for scientific studies.
Participants also enjoyed a meal on the land and had time to pick wild berries before heading back to their communities.
The Snap Lake fish tasting event was a success with 18 Elders from local communities with Impact Benefit Agreements attending the event at the mine site on September 6. Six lake trout were caught and dissected, and all of the fish were cooked – one in boiling water without additional flavor for the taste test and the others over an open fire, pan fried in lard or battered and fried.
Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation elder Ernest Boucher dissected three of the six trout and commented that the fish looked to be in good health and were large – some of the fish had smaller fish in their stomachs which showed they were eating well. Francois and his peers also commented on the good colour and texture of the meat.
Tlicho Elder and interpreter Violet Mary Mackenzie made bannock and everyone enjoyed time on the land around the fire with the beautiful fall foliage in the background.
Many Elders took fish and bannock home for their families.
For the environment staff at the mine site, the knowledge gleaned from the Elders is an important part of the aquatic monitoring programs at the site.
“The fish all seemed to be really good and the Elders liked the quality and the texture of the meat,” said Shawn Taylor, environmental officer at Snap Lake. “The feedback we got was as good as it can get, really, especially when it comes from the Elders who have been fishing all their lives, and who bring their knowledge learned over many generations of fishing in these Northern lakes.”
Results of the fish tasting are reported in the annual Aquatic Effects Monitoring Program reports for Gahcho Kué and Snap Lake.