Listuguj Scallops
Our Scallop Farm
Sustainable Scallop Farming.
Community Owned.
The Listuguj Mi’gmaq have always relied on the sea to provide and have been involved in aquaculture since 2000. In 2014, the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government (LMG) began to transition from farming mussels to sea scallops, and after a successful 5-year trial, the LMG began to fully invest into scallops aquaculture. In 2023, our first scallops were brought to market.
Our scallops are a 100% naturally sourced, raised, and harvested from Mawi Paqtapeg (Bay of Chaleur). We are 100% community-owned scallop farm dedicated to sustainable scallop farming, and our farm employs over 10 Listuguj Mi’gmaq. Our team is committed to providing high-quality scallops while preserving the environment. We take pride in being an indigenous product and strive to uphold the traditions of our community.
Our Story
History
For millennia, the lands and waters have sustained the Mi’gmaq people, shaping their culture, society, spirituality, and economy. Their deep connection to the territory is recorded in oral history, archaeological evidence, and historical accounts. When Europeans arrived, the Mi’gmaq shared their knowledge and resources, establishing trade and cooperation. From 1725 to 1779, treaties of peace and friendship between the Mi’gmaq and Great Britain affirmed shared rights to the land and waters. Despite these treaties, Canadian policies and the spread of non-Indigenous settlements limited Mi’gmaq ways of life by the mid-1800s. Only in 1982 did Aboriginal and Treaty Rights gain constitutional protection in Canada. Despite historical challenges, the Mi’gmaq have preserved their unique worldview, governance, and resource management. They continue to assert their rights to the fisheries, essential to their social, cultural, spiritual, and economic well-being. In Atlantic Canada and along the Gaspe coast, Mi’gmaq communities thrive around the fishing industry, honoring their enduring connection to the waters.
Mi’gmaq Fisheries and Trade
Historically, Indigenous nations traded with each other to meet their needs. After the arrival of Europeans, new trade relationships were established, evolving over time based on changing needs. This led to the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1760-61. Following the Marshall Ruling in 1999, these trade relationships, as described in the Peace and Friendship Treaties, were protected under section 35 of the Constitution as "Treaty Rights." Today, with these Treaty Rights, Indigenous communities, including the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government, participate in modern commercial fishery markets. This participation aims to sustain and improve the socio-economic conditions of their communities. The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government currently owns and governs 21 Aboriginal Communal Commercial fishing licenses, which are managed by the Natural Resource Directorate, alongside scallop aquaculture operations.
Our understanding of the environment
“Aq ge’itmite’tman goqwei, mu pas’g ge’itmite’tmu ugjit gi’l gisgug, gepmite’tm ugjit ta’nig ula wejgwita’jig, gnngi’gwinaqi’g, na ninen ne’gaw teliangita’sultieg, ula nige’ wejgwigutijig, ta’n telo’tmi’tij na gji’tutesnug.”
“When you respect something, you don’t respect it just for today. You respect it for those who are coming, our children. This is what we’ve always believed. These generations coming will show us the benefits of this understanding.”