Department of Fisheries and Oceans Archives

Moderate livelihood treaty right at centre of fishery trial in Nova Scotia

September 9, 2022 Maureen Googoo

A trial involving three Mi’kmaw fishermen who say they were exercising their treaty right to fish for a living when they were charged with fishery offences is currently underway in Digby, N.S. James Nevin, 38, […]

Mi’kmaw fisherman seeks court approval to fight fishery charges on constitutional grounds

August 22, 2022 Maureen Googoo

A Mi’kmaw fisherman from Nova Scotia is seeking permission from a provincial court judge to challenge fishery offences against him on constitutional grounds. Cory Francis, 53, from the Acadia First Nation near Yarmouth, N.S. argues […]

Mi’kmaw fisherman using 1752 treaty, ancestry in legal battle with DFO

July 20, 2022 Maureen Googoo

A Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw fisherman says he has a constitutionally protected treaty right to catch and sell fish because he is a direct descendant of the Mi’kmaw Grand Chief who signed one of the Peace […]

Sipekne’katik chief arrested, detained by DFO following launch of annual treaty lobster fishery

August 17, 2021 Maureen Googoo

The chief of the Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia was arrested and questioned by federal fishery officers Monday just as community fishers began its annual treaty lobster fishery in Saulnierville, N.S. Chief Mike Sack […]

Sipekne’katik fisherman says delay in fishery launch the smart decision for now

June 5, 2021 Maureen Googoo

Robert Syliboy said he was reluctant to drop his lobster traps in St. Mary’s Bay this week. “If I put my gear in the water today, it would likely be gone by tomorrow,” the Mi’kmaw […]

United Nations committee seeks answers from Canada over racism, violence against Mi’kmaw fishers

May 11, 2021 Maureen Googoo

A United Nations committee is seeking answers from Canada regarding the racism and violence Mi’kmaw lobster fishers experienced while they exercised their treaty right to fish for a moderate livelihood in Nova Scotia last fall. […]

Sipekne’katik to resume lobster fishing under moderate livelihood June 1

April 23, 2021 Maureen Googoo

The Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia says it plans to continue on with its own treaty fishery in St. Mary’s Bay in June despite the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’s directive that all moderate […]

Sipekne’katik sues Nova Scotia, says fish buying regulations infringe on treaty rights

February 5, 2021 Maureen Googoo

The Sipekne’katik First Nation is suing the Nova Scotia government over regulations that oversee fish and seafood sales from fish harvesters to buyers, calling them unconstitutional and an infringement of Mi’kmaw treaty rights. In the […]

Lawyer for Mi’kmaw fishermen says charges against them should be dismissed

October 27, 2020 Maureen Googoo

The lawyer representing four Mi’kmaw lobster fishermen in Nova Scotia says all fishery charges against them should be dismissed. “We have four Mi’kmaw fishermen that were fishing under their right to (fish for) a moderate […]

Eskasoni fisherman plans to fight fishery charges against him

October 25, 2020 Maureen Googoo

A Mi’kmaw lobster fisherman from Eskasoni First Nation in Nova Scotia says he plans to fight several fishery charges against him. Ashton Bernard, 30, says he was exercising his treaty right to fish for a […]

Nova Scotia chiefs rejected $87-million offer from DFO, want moderate livelihood defined

October 5, 2020 Maureen Googoo

The co-chair of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs says negotiations with the federal government over the treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood from the fishery reached an impasse earlier this year because […]

Next step for Sipekne’katik lobster harvesters in moderate livelihood fishery is selling catch

September 28, 2020 Maureen Googoo

Terrence Augustine said his first week of lobster fishing under his treaty right to earn a moderate livelihood from the fishery was rough. He said non-Indigenous commercial fishermen cut the lines attached to the 50 […]

Mi’kmaw harvesters confront protesters at wharf in southwestern Nova Scotia

September 15, 2020 Maureen Googoo

Mi’kmaw lobster harvesters confronted a large group of protesters who gathered at a wharf in Weymouth, N.S. Tuesday morning to protest against the Mi’kmaq treaty right to fish for a moderate livelihood. Approximately 300 protesters, […]

Sipekne’katik Chief calls on NS Premier, DFO, RCMP to protect Mi’kmaw harvesters’ treaty rights

September 15, 2020 Maureen Googoo

The chief of the Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia is calling for the Nova Scotia premier, the minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the RCMP to protect Mi’kmaw lobster harvesters from harassment while they […]

Mi’kmaw lobster harvesters feeling harassed for practising moderate livelihood fishery

September 4, 2020 Maureen Googoo

Mi’kmaw lobster harvesters in southwestern Nova Scotia say they feel harassed by non-Indigenous harvesters for practicing their treaty right to earning a moderate livelihood by setting lobster traps in St. Mary’s Bay. “It’s been very […]