Vessels in St. Mary's Bay, September 2020.
A local First Nation says they’ve been pushed out of St. Mary’s Bay by the ongoing tensions between Indigenous and commercial fishers.
Bear River First Nation released a letter this week written by Chief Carol Dee Potter.
The letter is addressed to Minister Bernadette Jordan and several Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs including Acadia First Nation Chief Deborah Robinson.
In it, Chief Potter outlined her band’s concerns surrounding the ongoing dispute in St. Mary’s Bay, noting that Bear River First Nation has been fishing in the area since ‘time immemorial’ and have been forced out because of the ongoing dispute.
Bear River First Nation is the closest Mi’kmaq community to St. Mary’s Bay.
She explains that none of the stakeholders involved – the feds, DFO, or Sipekne’katik First Nation Chief Mike Sack – reached out regarding access or and lobster resource management in the Bay.
The letter also states that Bear River First Nation is developing plans to create its own moderate livelihood fishery in the area, but are doing so with the cooperation with other Mi’kmaq Chiefs.
Meantime, another First Nation has pulled out of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs and the Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, also known as the KMKNO.
Chief Terry Paul made the announcement on behalf of Membertou First Nation on Wednesday.
It’s the latest First Nation to do so – Sipekne’katik First Nation withdrew from the Assembly and KMKNO earlier this month.
The Assembly said in a release that the decision is disappointing but they are open to both Sipekne’katik and Membertou rejoining the organization in the future.
Membertou Chief Terry Paul was head of fisheries negotiations with the Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, though he noted last week that negotiations with DFO had failed.
Membertou intends to launch its own moderate livelihood fishery in the near future.
Potlotek and Eskasoni First Nations have already launched their own moderate livelihood plans on Cape Breton.
Sipekne’katik First Nation launched their moderate livelihood fishery on St. Mary’s Bay in September.
