About the Maritime Aboriginal Aquatic Resources Secretariate

The Maritime Aboriginal Aquatic Resources Secretariate (MAARS) is a partnership of the Aboriginal Peoples Representative Organization Councils (Native Councils) for the large communities of Mi'Kmaq, Malecite and Passamaquoddy Aboriginal Peoples continuing to reside on their traditional ancestral homeland territories throughout the Maritime Region on the East Coast of Canada. MAARS is funded through the Aboriginal Aquatic Resources and Oceans Management (AAROM) program of Fisheries and Oceans Canada as well as some contributions from the Native Councils.

From 1985 onwards, each of the MAARS Native Council partners has had different levels of growth and activity in both communal Aboriginal sustenance fisheries and Aboriginal communal commercial fisheries. The participation in aquatic resources access and use is managed for the communal, social and economic development of the respective traditional homeland communities in the Maritime Region.

The partner Native Councils established MAARS for decision making governance about aquatic resources, oceans management, and commercial fishing industry planning throughout all the watersheds in the region. Collectively, the respective Councils' communities throughout the Maritime Region have a position and growing involvement in communal commercial fisheries in all the watersheds and drainage basin areas of the Maritime East Coast.

MAARS is a Secretariate of the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council, which was formed in 1982 and is officially registered as an Aboriginal Peoples Intergovernmental Regional Body under the Canada Corporations Act.

Website: www.mapcmaars.ca