N.S. fishers plan appeal after court dismisses lobster treaty rights case
A group representing commercial fishers in Nova Scotia says it plans to appeal after a court ruled it does not have standing to pursue a case involving Indigenous fishing rights.
Nova Scotia's commercial fishers, represented by the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, have announced their intention to contest a recent court ruling that denied them the ability to pursue a case concerning Indigenous lobster fishing rights. The alliance sought to prove that members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation lack the authority to fish for lobster outside of the designated season without obtaining a commercial fishing license.
They argued that the commercial fishing industry in St. Mary's Bay, Nova Scotia, was operating unlawfully and harming other fishermen and lobster populations.
However, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court recently dismissed the case, stating that the decision to involve Ottawa in treaty rights negotiations should rest with Sipekne’katik, rather than the alliance. Alliance President Colin Sproul expressed his intention to appeal the decision, criticizing the federal government for not addressing the issue directly.
Sproul also questioned why the Attorney General of Canada should not submit a reference question to the Supreme Court of Canada to resolve the matter once and for all, instead of burdening hard-working fishing families with significant financial costs.
No comments have been provided by Sipekne’katik officials or the federal attorney general's office at the time of this report.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
