moderate livelihood Archives

List of 54 Mi’kmaw fishers charged with fishery offences

September 25, 2023 Maureen Googoo

Ku’ku’kwes News has been tracking the court cases of 54 Mi’kmaw fish harvesters from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick who are before the Nova Scotia courts for fishery-related offences. Trials are either already underway or […]

More than 50 Mi’kmaw fishers charged with fishery offences in Nova Scotia courts

September 25, 2023 Maureen Googoo

More than 50 Mi’kmaw fish harvesters from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are currently before the courts in Nova Scotia on fishery-related offences. The charges range from fishing for lobster or elver eels without authorization, […]

Sipekne’katik First Nation sues federal government for seizing lobster traps

July 28, 2023 Maureen Googoo

The Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia is suing the federal government over treaty right infringement after officers with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans seized lobster traps belonging to its band members. Sipekne’katik alleges […]

Elver eel fishery trials set for Mi’kmaw fishermen in Dartmouth Court

March 6, 2023 Haeley DiRisio

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include details of court proceedings that took place on Mar. 6. Several trials involving the treaty right to catch and sell fish are slated to get underway in […]

Nova Scotia judge dismisses charges against three Mi’kmaw fishermen

January 10, 2023 Maureen Googoo

A Nova Scotia provincial court judge has dismissed fishery charges against three Mi’kmaw lobster fishermen who argued they had a constitutionally protected treaty right to catch and sell fish to earn a moderate livelihood. In […]

Nova Scotia judge reserves decision in treaty fishing rights case

October 19, 2022 Maureen Googoo

A Nova Scotia provincial court judge has reserved his decision in a court case that involves the treaty right to fish to earn a moderate livelihood. Leon Knockwood, 27, James Nevin, 38, and Logan Pierro-Howe, […]

Mi’kmaw lawyer says federal government wants to limit treaty rights in Marshall decision through the courts

September 15, 2022 Maureen Googoo

A lawyer who is representing several Mi’kmaw fishermen in three separate fishery trials in Nova Scotia says the federal government is using the courts to limit where his clients can practice their treaty fishing rights. […]

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 to set date for trial on constitutional challenge in October

August 23, 2022 Maureen Googoo

A Mi’kmaw fisherman who is fighting fishery charges against him on constitutional grounds will return to court in October to set a trial date. Cory Francis, 53, appeared before Judge Paul Scovil in provincial court […]

AFN National Chief calls on DFO to stop intimidating, harassing Mi’kmaw fishers

September 10, 2021 Maureen Googoo

The National Chief for the Assembly of First Nations is calling on the federal government to stop criminalizing treaty rights and end the harassment and intimidation of Mi’kmaw fishers on the waters. “Intimidation and violence […]

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 […]

Nova Scotia NDP leader says fish-buying regulations can change to accommodate moderate livelihood treaty right

July 29, 2021 Maureen Googoo

The leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party says the province can change fish-buying regulations to accommodate First Nations’ treaty right to buy and sell fish to earn a moderate livelihood. “When that court-mandated […]

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 […]

Opinions

Opinion: Canadian implementation of the UNDRIP would benefit all treaty people in Atlantic Canada

May 28, 2021 Cheryl Knockwood

In 2018, I taught a course at Cape Breton University on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or UNDRIP. All of the students in my class were Mi’kmaq. Throughout the course, […]

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. […]