A massive turnout at a protest in Meteghan early on Tuesday morning.
Attendees have reported between 400 and 500 trucks gathered with fishers dumping lobster traps on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans property around 5:30 a.m. as a sign of protest, then converging at the Saulnierville wharf.
The group then moved on to Weymouth wharf.
The commercial fishers continue to protest what they call ‘illegal’, out of season fishing in St. Mary’s Bay.
There is no commercial harvesting permitted in the area during the summer.
Around 50 boats belonging to Indigenous Fishers have been harvesting in the bay throughout the season, prompting conservation concerns.
Fishers have also been critical of Fisheries and Oceans MP Bernadette Jordan for what they call ‘inaction’ on the issue.
Protesters also converged outside the Minister’s Bridgewater constituency office in late August to push for DFO to crack down on the summer fishery in the Bay, and enforce its own rules.
Meantime, Chief Michael Sack of the Sipekne’katik First Nation has written to authorities including Fisheries Minster Bernadette Jordan requesting enforcement.
In letter dated September 11th, Chief Sack says the Band is calling on stakeholders to uphold the rule of law amidst ‘ongoing violence, threats, and human rights discrimination’.
The letter states that there has been a ongoing failure to recognize the 1999 Supreme Court of Canada Marshall ruling that upholds First Nations treaty rights to fish year-round.
The Band is calling on the Premier to adress the ongoing systemic denial of services by businesses, for RCMP to uphold the rule of law and protect indigenous fishers from illegal protesting and criminal behaviour, and for Minister Jordan to call a moratorium on search and seizures related to Mi’kmaq fisheries.