MAARS is a focal point for gathering, compiling, assessing, synopsizing, evaluating options, approaches, and providing advice so that the three MAARS partner councils can make informed decisions regarding aquatic resources, oceans management, communal commercial fisheries, governance and access to food social ceremonial treaty fisheries.

MAARS Objectives:

OBJECTIVE 1

To collaborate as a focal point Secretariate where the three Maritime Native Councils can meet and address a range of issues, concerns, needs, and interests about aquatic resources and the ocean.

OBJECTIVE 2

To be a central point of exchange or a sharing forum for a range of fisheries information, knowledge, expertise, experiences, opportunities, activities and general communications.

OBJECTIVE 3

To help chart strategic growth directions, manners of unified advocacy and proven best management practices.

OBJECTIVE 4

To identify and build human capacity, skills, knowledge, expertise, to explore and acquire funds and to coordinate involvement of the partners to meet the objective.

OBJECTIVE 5

To build and maintain an organized and accessible information repository of general and technical information, data and research, and to provide technical position options and approaches which the organizations’ leadership and Aboriginal Communal Commercial Fishery managers can use to advance in a unified position and direction their growth in the fisheries.

OBJECTIVE 6

To provide specific overviews and findings in succinct reports about developments in Aboriginal fisheries, the communal commercial fishing industry and government approaches to Aboriginal fisheries.

OBJECTIVE 7

To track, and attend a range of aquatic resources, fishing industry, advisory meetings, and oceans management sessions and prepare timely and concise reports for review by the leadership and/or fishery managers.

OBJECTIVE 8

To provide knowledgeable, factual and collaborative information to support strategic opinions, positions and approaches to influence decision makers, and industry on the matter of the rightful share and access by the traditional ancestral homeland Aboriginal community for their viable and sustainable participation as Off-Reserve Aboriginal Peoples, in the existing, developmental and emerging fisheries and fishing industry.

OBJECTIVE 9

To gather research and identify new or emerging opportunities for the economic growth, viability and sustainability of Aboriginal Communal Commercial Fisheries for the benefit of the Native Councils respective community of Aboriginal People continuing on their traditional ancestral homeland.

OBJECTIVE 10

To establish, maintain, profile and work towards assuring an effective collaborative team that would outreach as a network between the three Native Councils and their fisheries entities, and work and interface with governments, the fishing industry, fishery institutions, local, regional, national and international fishery bodies and organizations for the coordinated and inclusive stature and benefit of the three organizations’ community fisheries entities.

OBJECTIVE 11

To provide expertise in the development of business plans and business case presentations on a range of ventures, initiatives, and business opportunities in the fishing industry.

OBJECTIVE 12

To prepare quarterly summary reports about the achievements, works in progress, administration and other items of the Secretariate’s performance and effectiveness to be presented to the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council and Native Council community partners.

OBJECTIVE 13

To keep under constant review the guiding mission, intent and vision for MAARS.

To be a building block for the of Aboriginal Peoples’ rights to access, use and benefit from the resources and have a voice in decision making and management responsibilities.