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The prized crustacean can only be caught during narrow windows when the tide is at its lowest. The Nuu-Chah-Nulth have stepped up in the wake of the fishery's reopening; John Lehmann follows two aboriginal fishermen as they load up on the briny delicacy.

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Carl Roy Martin harvests gooseneck barnacles along rugged low-tide rock around Clayoquot Sound near Tofino, B.C., Nov. 22, 2013. One local seafood distributor sells them for $23 a pound.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Carl Roy Martin and his son Marcel make their way out to harvest gooseneck barnacles in Clayoquot Sound, Nov. 22, 2013. The fishery was opened in September after an eight-year hiatus.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Carl Roy Martin returns to his boat after harvesting gooseneck barnacles in Clayoquot Sound, Nov. 22, 2013. Traditionally, the barnacles have been harvested by the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Carl Roy Martin and his son Marcel climb back into their boat after harvesting gooseneck barnacles near Tofino, B.C., Nov. 22, 2013. The crustaceans can only be harvested in clusters during low tides.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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On the lookout for the prized gooseneck barnacle, Carl Roy Martin surveys rocks at low tide near Tofino, B.C., Nov. 22, 2013. The arthropods are prized among seafood lovers, and sell for up to $90 per kilogram in Europe.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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Carl Roy Martin and his son Marcel harvest gooseneck barnacles in Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Nov. 22, 2013.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

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