Lobster, Climate Change & Fisheries Monitoring Intern

Job title: Lobster, Climate Change and Fisheries Monitoring Intern

Reports to: Manager of Indigenous Fisheries

Job location: 57 Martin Crescent, Truro, NS B2N 6N7

Wage: $20.00 / hour

Hours: 35 hours per week (15-week internship)

Start Date: Expected May 13, 2024

This position is designated and limited to applicants from the following groups:

• Indigenous People (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit)

Employment Hiring

Clean is committed to Employment Equity and our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative at all job levels. The Clean Leadership Program welcomes applications from qualified self-identifying First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, Visible Minority Groups, Persons with Disabilities, Newcomers, and 2SLGBTQIA+ applicants. If you are a member of one of the equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on our registration form.

About the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program

The Clean Leadership Summer Internship program helps grow the clean economy by matching interns (age 15-30) with employers for 9- and 15-week summer work placements. Participating interns will receive paid hands-on experience, mentorship opportunities, take part in a professional development conference and training, while supporting local environmental projects.

Program Requirements

• Must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, person who has been granted refugee status in Canada or legally entitled to work in Canada;
• Must be between the ages of 15 and 30 years old (inclusive) at the start of internship;
• From and/or will be residing in Nova Scotia for the duration of the internship;
• Must not be an immediate family member of host employer;

About the host employer

The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (The CMM) is a Tribal Council representing eight Mi’kmaq communities of mainland Nova Scotia. Our mission is to proactively promote and assist Mi’kmaq communities’ initiatives towards self-determination and enhancement of community. The CMM is located in the Millbrook Mi’kmaw Community in Nova Scotia and has over 100 Employees. The CMM’s Mi’kmaw Conservation Group is currently looking for a summer student to assist with its goal to promote and restore the concept of Netukulimk in the Bay of Fundy watershed”. Netukulimk is sustaining oneself and one’s community from the bounty of Mother Earth while also sustaining the environment for future generations.

Summary of position

The intern will play a leadership role in the “Mainland Mi’kmaq Fisheries Monitoring Initiative” and the “Lobster and Climate Change” pilot project. The Department of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries Management (DARFM) at CMM is actively engaged in conservation and fisheries resource management. The intern will identify best practices in fisheries monitoring through a literature review. The intern will also engage harvesters in a temperature monitoring pilot project to learn about lobsters and climate change.

Fisheries monitoring is essential to ensuring that there is information about fishing activities and their impact on the environment. This information can be used to ensure that fisheries are sustainable and conserve the resource for future generations.

CMM is seeking a mature, independent intern with strong research and writing skills. The intern will undertake a literature review to identify best practices in fisheries monitoring. The intern will also assist with temperature monitoring pilot project, with a focus on outreach with harvesters. The intern will develop training materials on monitoring methods that incorporate digital technology and/or platforms. The intern will also assist the Indigenous Fisheries Manager with various commercial and indigenous fisheries activities, including engaging community, planning youth and community outreach events, developing lesson plans and educational materials about the importance of monitoring to conserve the resource for future generations, and assisting with field research for a variety of aquatic resource projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Office work – planning meetings and events
• Outreach and education – prepare lesson plans or activities that instruct
• Community engagement – respectful listening
• Complete field data collection in a variety of environmental conditions
• Operate field data collection technologies
• Complete background readings that relate to sustainable fisheries and fisheries monitoring
• Complete report writing

Requirements/Qualifications

• Have an aptitude for safe work practices and the ability to multi-task in a busy work environment;
• Be able to work productively as part of a team while responding to feedback;
• Demonstrated interest in future employment in the environmental or clean sector is considered an asset;
• Currently enrolled or completion of a Bachelor degree and/or Collage Diploma related to biology/ecology/environmental science or work related experience is considered an asset
• Previous experience working in an environmental field considered an asset
• Knowledge of First Nation communities across Nova Scotia is considered an asset
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational, time management and practical problem-solving skills

Working Conditions

Ability to complete desktop related tasks in an office environment. Some work will also be completed outside surrounding bodies of water. Must have an adaptable and resilient mindset to complete field related tasks outdoors in variable weather conditions. Community outreach and workshops may also be completed during the work term, therefore, a professional and approachable work ethic must be demonstrated.

Physical Requirements

Some tasks completed in the field may be physically demanding. Must be able to complete work in a variety of weather conditions. Intern should be comfortable lifting heavy item and walking in various terrains.