Tensions rise on Nova Scotia river as Indigenous eel fishers reject Ottawa rules

Judge says DFO acted unfairly in coming to 2023 elver quota decision

A federal judge has ruled the Department of Fisheries and Oceans did not adequately consult with commercial licence holders that fish for juvenile eels along Maritime rivers when it plucked nearly 14 per cent of their quota and gave it to First Nations.

Tensions rise on Nova Scotia river as some Indigenous eel fishers reject Ottawa rules

Licence holders are given quotas based on how many people live in their communities, with rivers assigned where each licence holder is permitted to harvest the tiny eels

Tensions rise on Nova Scotia river as Indigenous eel fishers reject Ottawa rules

Two commercial fishers harvesting baby eels under new federal rules say they felt they had to stop fishing on Sunday night when a large group of Indigenous fishers arrived on the river and set up their nets.

Tensions rise on Nova Scotia river as Indigenous eel fishers reject Ottawa rules - Halifax

Under the system, the licence holders — including the 20 First Nations who were new entrants — are given quotas based on how many people live in their communities.

Tensions rise on Nova Scotia river as Indigenous eel fishers reject Ottawa rules - Halifax #CDNNews #NovaScotia #AtlanticCanada #CanadaNewsToday

Two commercial fishers harvesting baby eels under new federal rules say they felt they had to stop fishing on Sunday night when a large group of Indigenous harvesters arrived at the river with nets. Suzy Edwards, an employee of Atlantic Elver Fishery, said one of the fishers told her he was from Sipekne’katik First Nation and they were making a “statement” that they don’t accept Ottawa’s recently imposed system that distributed the quota for the…

HALIFAX — Two commercial fishermen fishing eels under the new federal rules said they had to stop fishing on Sunday night when a large group of Aboriginal fishermen arrived on the river and set up their nets. Suzy Edwards, an employee of Atlantic Elver Fisheries, said that one of the fishermen told him that he was from the Sipekne-katik First Nation and that they were thus expressing their disagreement with the recently imposed Ottawa system, wh…