Canada: Mik'maq elver fishers hope quotas create safety on N.S. rivers, but critics doubtful

Published Dec 18, 2024

Tridge summary

A new quota system for the elver fishery in Canada has been introduced, allocating 50% of the total allowable catch to Indigenous fishers, a move that has been met with opposition from commercial licence holders. The system aims to provide legal quotas to Indigenous fishers, who have previously faced arrests and discrimination, and offers a path to employment and financial stability for young people in First Nation communities. However, concerns have been raised about the lack of training and facilities for the large number of new harvesters, and the potential impact on the delicate baby eel species. The plan, which has been criticized for its lack of compensation for commercial licence holders and the sudden introduction of hundreds of new harvesters without necessary infrastructure, is currently under discussion for its safety and sustainability.
Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

HALIFAX — Indigenous elver fishers who once were at odds with federal fisheries officers say they're hopeful that a new plan to provide them quotas this season will create more peace on the water. Earlier this month, a letter released by the federal Fisheries Department proposed a new quota system for the lucrative baby eel fishery that shifts 50 per cent of the total allowable catch of about 9,960 kilograms to First Nations fishers from commercial licence holders. Commercial elver fishers in the Maritimes have condemned the new system, saying it slashes their quotas without compensation, leaving little motivation for non-Indigenous companies to share their methods and facilities with the Indigenous entrants. However, Blaise Sylliboy, a 26-year-old Mi'kmaq fisher, says he is optimistic about receiving a legal quota, after he was arrested last year by three enforcement officers and dropped at a gas station — where he was left stranded without his boots. In an interview on ...

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