Minister stands firm in surf clam dispute

H A L I FA X • A dispute over the federal government’s decision to award a multimillion-dollar Arctic surf clam fishing licence to a Nova Scotia company continued to fester Wednesday, as Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded to complaints from irate Indigenous groups and politicians.

LeBlanc rejected calls to reverse his decision, saying he wasn’t surprised there was discontent among those whose proposals failed to win approval.

“This particular decision was made because we selected a proposal that we think it provides the most significant economic benefits to Indigenous people,” he said after making an unrelated announcement at a community centre in the Halifax area.

Last week, the Newfoundland and Labrador government and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq chiefs said the company that was awarded the licence, Five Nation Clam Company, did not have any Indigenous partners from Newfoundland and Labrador or Nova Scotia, as the minister claimed when he made the announcement Feb. 21.

Both the provincial government and the Mi’kmaq group called on LeBlanc to reverse his decision.

When asked Wednesday if there were agreements in place at that time, LeBlanc said the proposal from Five Nation had “reserved spots” for Indigenous groups.

“Like a number of proponents, they had reserved spots in their proposal, in some cases, for proponents that may have been in one other proposal, or in more than one other proposal,” he said.

“I’m satisfied that the conditions that this particular proponent put forward can and will be met. And if they can’t meet that condition, then I will not issue the formal legal documents that would give them the licence and the quota.”

The Five Nation Clam Company is a new entity that includes the Elsipogtog First Nation in eastern New Brunswick and the Premium Seafoods Group in Arichat, N.S.

The Elsipogtog First Nation, which is in LeBlanc’s riding, issued a statement Tuesday saying it had signed memoranda of understanding with Indigenous communities from Quebec and the four Atlantic provinces. The band said the names of those groups would be released in the coming days.

The statement did not say when the agreements were signed.

Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne said the use of “reserved spots” wouldn’t meet the criteria for the federal government’s original request for proposals, and he renewed his call for LeBlanc to rescind his decision.

The Arctic surf clam fishery generated $90 million in sales in 2016 and mainly supplies the Asian sushi and sashimi market.

The fishing grounds are located off Nova Scotia and eastern Newfoundland, and the current catch-limit is about 38,000 tonnes.