Meat from Cape Breton moose cull used to fight poverty in First Nations

A Mi'kmawscientist says a moose cull in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park is one of the best ways to fight food insecurity in the province's First Nations communities.

A recent study found that Indigenous communities have some of the highest child poverty rates in Nova Scotia, ranging from 40 per cent in Wagmatcook to 73 per cent in Eskasoni.

Clifford Paul, a moose management co-ordinator with the Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources in Eskasoni, consults on aParks Canada project aimed a restoring the Cape Breton highlands boreal forest by reducing the number of moose feeding on saplings.

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Since 2015,Mi'kmaqhunters have been allowed to killa limited number of moose on North Mountain. This year they were allowed 35.Paul saidthe meat from those animals will feed many families.

"For families on social assistance, it's hard for them to just buy meat from the grocery store," he said, "so this contribution of 35 moose across the province is a big thingand it sure helps families with food security issues."

Paul said the moose meat is sent to all 13 Indigenous communities in Nova Scotia, but Eskasoni gets the lion's share because it has the largest population and the highest rate of poverty.He said the meat is healthier than anything found in grocery stores.

"There's no hormones, antibiotics," he said. "It's all clean. I would say it is a delicacy."

Derek Quann, the manager of the forest restoration project for Parks Canada,said the number of moose taken each year depends on the size of the local population and the health of the forest.

Thirty-sevenmoose were taken the first year and 50 last year. Quann said there will be a hunt next year but the number of moose culled has yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, Paul saidcontributions of Mi'kmaqhunters over the last few years "is the biggest dent that could be put against child poverty rates."