Premier Stephen McNeil says he’s disappointed by inaction from the federal government.
After Thursday’s cabinet meeting, he said Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan and DFO officials need to act to ease tensions in Southwest Nova.
McNeil said he’s not satisfied with the federal government’s response.
“There’re going to have to be difficult conversations, I think both sides know this, but we need the national government, we need DFO, the federal minister sitting down,” he said. “it’s not good enough to sit with the Indigenous community or the traditional fisheries associations by themselves. They all need to be in the room, so they hear from each other.”
McNeil said the fishery is a federal responsibility, so there’s nothing the provincial government can do to regulate it.
He said the entire situation is frustrating.
“This is only getting more entrenched and people are getting more entrenched in their positions,” he said.
There has been a flurry of statements issued from politicians, commercial and indigenous stakeholders on the situation in the past 24 hours, and widespread condemnation of RCMP inaction.
The acts of violence and intimidation committed in Digby County yesterday are unacceptable, and I join Minister Jordan in strongly condemning them. We cannot continue down this path. We must work together to advance reconciliation and implement First Nation treaty rights. https://t.co/B5UJuzAaLQ
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 14, 2020
Police have not made any arrests related to vandalism, threats, or violence that have happened over the past week.
Coldwater Lobster Association President Bernie Berry said in a press release that the Association condemns any acts of violence and again called for Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard Minister Bernadette Jordan to call a face-to-face meeting between DFO, Indigenous fishers, commercial fishers, and the feds.
Sipekne’katik First Nation Chief Mike Sack also issued a statement addressed to the Prime Minister.
In it, Sack announced that Sipekne’katik intends to seek civil remedies against those who have infringed against their constitutionally-protected rights.
He also addressed what he called the ‘willful inaction of law enforcement in the face of criminal actions against our people’, questioning police inaction.