Staying afloat, so far
Treaty fishery boat turns down DFO offer to voluntarily pull traps, but still no conflict
LENNOX ISLAND, P.E.I. – All is well on the water, so far, for Lennox Island's new moderate livelihood fishery.
Kyle Sark, a captain who started setting traps on May 7, says there haven't been any issues with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans or the public.
The fishery opened without authorization from the department, but Sark doesn't expect any trouble.
While a DFO boat on patrol did stop to talk to him and the crew of the Way Point on Tuesday, May 10, they seemed to understand the First Nation's perspective, he said.
“We weren't arguing with them,” he said in a phone interview with Saltwire Network on that same day.
“They wanted to know if we wanted to voluntarily bring our traps out of the water, just because, he said he was just doing his job, you know. Other than that, he just let us go.”
Lennox Island had been negotiating with DFO for years about launching its treaty fishery, and First Nations in the region opened fisheries in the past two years, so the department knew this was coming, Sark said.
“I'm pretty sure DFO, personally, they don't mind. They think it's going to happen anyway, I think.”
The officials he spoke with were probably just following protocols and checking up on them, he said, but Sark expects the situation with the government to stay calm.
“They understand that it's eventually going to happen whether they like it or not. … We're just starting it up, see what's going to happen,” he said.
NO COMMERCIAL CONFLICT
Everything so far has also been calm, if a bit tense, with P.E.I.'S non-indigenous commercial fishers.
Saltwire Network left a voicemail and sent an email on May 10 to Ian Macpherson, the media contact from the P.E.I. Fisherman's Association April 28 press release about the treaty fishery issue but did not hear back by deadline.
That release calls for a continuation of the “one license in, one license” out conservation policy that the commercial fishery operates under. It also expresses disappointment that the treaty fishery process did not involve three-way negotiations between Prince Edward Island First Nations, fishing associations and the federal government.
“We now have a situation where stakeholder groups are not in agreement on how access to the fishery can be achieved in a controlled and regulated manner.”
When Saltwire Network spoke with Lennox Island Chief Darlene Bernard at the opening of the fishery on May 7, she discussed meeting with the P.E.I. Fisherman's Association. But she said the First Nation is only obligated to negotiate with the federal government on a “nation to nation basis”.
The association's statement also called on DFO to enforce regulations.
“The association strongly opposes conflict of any type and is frustrated this situation has evolved when workable solutions for all stakeholders could have been achieved.”
Sark said he has not dealt with any issues such as abusive emails or comments on social media.
SAILING FORWARD
While conflict remains possible, Lennox Island fisheries operations manager Kristin Lewis continues to work on getting more people signed up and ready to shove off.
With a cap set at 1,000 traps, the First Nation has 240 traps in the water and another few hundred coming near the end of this week, Lewis said.
This will be another boat with a new crew, meaning three boats and six people will then be involved, Lewis said, noting there are people waiting to be approved and some who are already approved.
“We do have some people approved. They're just waiting to put their stuff in the water. (There are) three right now.”