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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2001

Non-Natives urging the federal government to shut down a First Nations lobster harvest in the name of "social peace" were met with a message of condemnation on Monday by Canada's top fisheries official for a recent raid on a Mi'kmaq community in New Brunswick.

"The actions taken by some non-Native commercial fishers this weekend are not only illegal, they are grossly irresponsible," said Herb Dhaliwal, head of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DF0). "No matter what the frustrations of the herring fishermen, there is no excuse for this reckless, destructive and counterproductive behavior."

Non-Native fisherman cut lobster traps and damaged property of Mi'kmaq fishermen in violation of law, said Dhaliwal. He is promising cooperation with authorities who are investigating Sunday night's videotaped attack on Miramichi Bay.

Tensions in the bay have been high ever since the Supreme Court two years ago affirmed the treaty rights of Mi'kmaq fishermen to trap lobster out of season. Mi'kmaq fishermen have been subject to threats, vandalism and beatings.

For the most part, the threats subsided. They were instead replaced by skirmishes with the federal government, who wants to regulate all aspects of non-Native fishing.

Feeling ignored by a government they see as taking a light hand toward Native governments, non-Native fisherman are now striking back. A fisherman's union wants Dhaliwal to revoke a license his department awarded to the Burnt Church First Nation.

"We're calling on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to close the fall food fishery at Burnt Church," said Sandy Seigel, a spokesman for the Maritime Fishermen's Union. "We're asking, in the name of social peace and good government, that the fishery be closed before more problems arise."

The license expires on October 20 and the DFO has given no indication it would suspend it.

Burnt Church is the sole holdout on a federal program aimed at regulating the rights affirmed by the Marshall decision. The First Nation feels they should not sign over their sovereign rights to the government.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is reviewing a videotape of Sunday's raid, which took place around 6PM. About 50 non-Native boats and 10 Native boats were involved.

Both Natives and non-Natives could face charges. The RCMP says it tried to stop the non-Native boats from approaching the bay, but failed.

Relevant Links:
The Marshall Case, Department of Fisheries and Oceans - www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/COMMUNIC/Marshall/marshall_e.htm
The Burnt Church Support Site - www.tao.ca/~beinglightbeing/burntchurch
Fishing Fury, from the CBC: cbc.ca/news/indepth/fishingfury/index.html

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