All Eyes on Mi'kma'ki
Mi'kmaw People Expand Moderate Livelihood Lobster Fishery
- Sarah Mullgrave -
November 4, 2020. Members of Pictou Landing First
Nation pick up their tags to participate in the
moderate livelihood lobster fishery.
Mi'kmaw First Nations in Nova Scotia continue to
expand their moderate livelihood lobster fishery.
Chief Andrea Paul of the Pictou Landing First
Nation (PLFN) announced on November 4 that her
community had implemented its plan for such a
fishery. "It was a great day, our fishers were
really happy that we were finally moving ahead
with our plan. So at 9 o'clock they started lining
up to pick up their tags, they're very happy," she
told CBC's Information
Morning Nova Scotia. The PLFN, located on
Nova Scotia's north shore on the Northumberland
Strait, joins the Sipekne'katik First Nation that
began its self-regulated moderate livelihood
lobster fishery on September 17 in St. Mary's Bay
in the southwest of the province, and the Potlotek
First Nation that began its fishery in St. Peter's
Bay on the south shore of Cape Breton on October
1. All three communities are exercising their
rights as enshrined in the Peace and Friendship
Treaties signed in 1760-61 between the Mi'kmaw
people and the British Crown, supported by two
Supreme Court rulings in 1999. The Membertou First
Nation on Cape Breton has also indicated its
intention to exercise its fishing rights in the
near future.
The PLFN has published three documents on its
website detailing how it will be managing its
lobster fishery. The document titled "Netukulimk
Livelihood Fisheries Policy and Protocol,"
explains that "Netukulimk is defined as the use of
the natural bounty provided by the Creator for the
self-support and well-being of the individual and
the community by achieving adequate standards of
community nutrition and economic and spiritual
well-being without jeopardizing the integrity,
diversity or productivity of the 'natural bounty.'
 "The principle of
Netukulimk has been the foundation of sustaining
Mi'kmaw families, communities and society since
time immemorial."[1]
It further goes into matters such as the
protection of Treaty Rights, sustainability of the
fishery, economic, social, environmental and
cultural principles, as well as maintaining
peaceful relations with neighbouring communities,
among other considerations, to guide the
fishery.
The document titled "Netukulimk Livelihood
Fisheries Plan" goes into the practical measures
and conditions that PLFN members must be in
conformity with to be authorized by the PLFN to
take part in the fishery, such as registration and
identification, safety requirements, conservation
measures and catch prohibitions, authorized
fishing gear, as well as trap allotment.[2] An appendix to
the plan provides the detailed requirements from
Transport Canada for fishing vessel safety
requirements.[3]
The PLFN authorizes each fisher to use no more
than 30 traps. The PLFN fishery will close from
December 14 to May 1, 2021, the opening day of the
commercial lobster fishing season in that area,
which runs until June 30 with the exception of two
small sections that open in May and end in July.
Contrary to attempts by the Canadian government,
the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), and
others defending monopoly right to portray the
Mi'kmaw fishers as acting against the well-being
of the fishery and to sow divisions with fishers
who take part in the commercial fishery, reality
shows this is not the case. The considered and
disciplined approach toward the lobster fishery
taken by the Mi'kmaw people and the just exercise
of their sovereignty and treaty rights shows that
they are part of the modern working class on
Turtle Island that all together is striving for
the recognition of rights and to exercise control
over their conditions of life and work.
 
November 1, 2020. "All Eyes on Mi'kma'ki"
demonstration in Montreal.
Ongoing Threat of State Interference
An October 30 press release from the Assembly of
Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs titled "DFO Planning
Action to Seize Traps" shows the ongoing threat of
interference from the Canadian state in the
Indigenous fishery. It states:
 "The Assembly of
Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs (Assembly) has received
information indicating the Department of Fisheries
and Oceans' Conservation and Protection Department
may be moving in to seize community authorized
gear and traps from the Mi'kmaw Moderate
Livelihood fishery across Nova Scotia. The
Assembly condemns this action and demands all
planned action related to seizure is aborted.
"The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized the
Mi'kmaq Right to fish for a moderate livelihood,
and as also stated publicly by Minister Jordan
herself, this fishery is legal. Therefore, the
Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia have remained clear, that
we will continue to exercise our treaty right to
fish and sell fish for a moderate livelihood.
"The DFO Conservation and Protection
Department's continued negligence and harassment
of harvesters fishing legally pursuant to their
Treaty Rights is a direct violation of
Constitutional Rights. The Minister of DFO has
also been acting in bad faith during ongoing
Consultations and in a manner inconsistent with
the honour of the Crown.
"The Assembly is gravely concerned for the
well-being and safety of Mi'kmaw harvesters and
they are demanding that the harassment ends
immediately."
It is crucial that everyone continue to stand
with the Mi'kmaq, oppose any interference by the
Canadian state in their fishery and demand that
Canada adhere to its treaty obligations.
Support the Mi'kmaw Fishers in
the Exercise of Their Treaty Rights!
All Eyes on Mi'kma'ki!
Notes
1. Netukulimk
Livelihood
Fisheries, Policy and Protocol, Version 7
(Final), October 2020.
2. Netukulimk
Livelihood Fisheries Plan, Version 7 (Final),
October 2020.
3. Netukulimk
Livelihood Fisheries Harvest Plan, Appendix I,
Version 7 (Final), October 2020.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 46 - November 28,
2020
Article Link:
All Eyes on Mi'kma'ki: Mi'kmaw People Expand Moderate Livelihood Lobster Fishery - Sarah Mullgrave
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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