Master of Journalism student Yuan Wang’s winning submission explores the volatile elver fishing industry
In Nova Scotia, stories about fishing are front-page news. Disputes between regulatory bodies and those who fish for a living, or between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers are common in stories that explore overfishing, conservation, poaching and smuggling. Lately, some of the most complex and heated fishing stories concern the ongoing saga of Canada’s valuable elvers (baby eels). It’s an area of investigation that King’s Master of Journalism student Yuan Wang was eager to wade into—and her ongoing research has earned her this year’s Peter Mansbridge Investigative Award.
The Mansbridge Award, the gift of esteemed Canadian journalist Peter Mansbridge, was created in 2024 to encourage the best in emerging journalistic talent. The award is presented annually to a second-year King’s Master of Journalism or Master of Fine Arts, Nonfiction student who has embarked upon a project that exemplifies excellence in investigative research and writing and has strong publication potential. Yuan Wang is King’s second recipient of the award, which provides funds to cover travel and investigative costs.
This year’s award jury included Director of Journalism Fred Vallance-Jones, Director of Writing & Publishing Gillian Turnbull and prominent Canadian author and investigative journalist Jessica McDiarmid, BJ(Hons)’08, MFA’17. “We’re thrilled that Peter Mansbridge created this award that encourages and inspires the next generation of journalists. It’s great for King’s and the two programs,” says Vallance-Jones. “The award has an important focus in that it is for investigative work, but a wide range of projects can fit into that focus,” adds Turnbull. Wang’s proposal to investigate the long-fraught story of the highly lucrative elver fishing industry had the makings of a rich and timely piece of investigative journalism.
“Twenty-five years after the Marshall Decisions firmly established Indigenous fishing rights, elvers, or glass eels, are once again causing turmoil,” Wang asserted in her award proposal. “Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishermen clash over catch quotas, while illegal fishing and black-market activity has intensified—not surprising, given that elvers are worth up to $5,000 per kilogram on the international market.”
Wang’s story is not just about people who fish, but also about the fish. “People forget that fish are living beings,” she says. “They are harvesting tons and tons of baby animals, and the whole population is dropping. It is important to introduce to the readers how to coexist with fishes by exploring those values and sustainability.”
For her research, Wang visited elver fishers on Nova Scotia’s South Shore and interviewed Mi’kmaw elders, fishery advisors, a former Interpol project leader, a former DFO fisheries intelligence director, Japanese researchers, law professors and a European eel scientist, among many others. “I’ve tried to present the most comprehensive story about how government policies affect the lives of people in the communities that rely on fish for a living.”
“Sometimes, with stories of tension between two groups at loggerheads, it’s so easy to a do a story that’s just about the tension,” says Lisa Taylor, Rogers Chair in Journalism, who teaches the program’s Professional Projects class. “Yuan’s work is so much more sophisticated than that. She has resisted the urge to find easy answers. She finds nuances within the perspective of different groups. And she is an elegant writer.”
Before moving with her spouse to Halifax from Sichuan, China, Wang worked for international news organizations as a reporter and documentarian. She arrived in Nova Scotia after the pandemic, leaving behind an environment she describes as toxic and traumatizing, in search of a more peaceful city and a chance to pursue her education. “I was drawn to King’s for [its] emphasis on data journalism, which I wanted to learn.”
Wang has high praise for King’s and the journalism program. “I love the vibe, I love the campus. I love the program’s emphasis on journalistic values and ethics.” She says she loves all her professors but singles out Vallance-Jones, “who was always ready to answer any question,” and Taylor, whose “legal background was so valuable. And she was ready to help with any aspect.” Wang is also grateful for the guidance and advice of Lyndsie Bourgon, BJ(Hons)’08, an external mentor who helped support the project.
Asked what drives her passion for investigative journalism, Wang was quick to respond. “I was always taught to be honest. My family valued honesty…. I have that will to speak out. But being a journalist in China can be very challenging because there’s always the battle with the authorities. I think it’s because of that environment … whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” she laughs.
