Evidence of meeting #5 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lobster.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Thank you.
I want to get into the Potlotek community management plan on the fisheries a little. Can you tell me how important conservation is in that plan?
6:55 p.m.
Fishery Coordinator, Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, Potlotek First Nation
Do you want me to go ahead, Chief?
6:55 p.m.
Fishery Coordinator, Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, Potlotek First Nation
Conservation is a primary management value that was developed from the beginning of this plan's development. “Netukulimk” is the definition we use. It's the use of the natural bounty provided by the Creator for the self-support and well-being of the individual and the community by achieving adequate standards of community nutrition and economic and spiritual well-being without jeopardizing the integrity, diversity or productivity of the natural bounty. It was very clear early in our development of these plans, in meeting with the assembly and with chiefs and councils, with the grand council, that netukulimk was the core principle around all the development.
Our concept of conservation is netukulimk. We go as far as to speak to the spiritual well-being of the person and of the environment to ensure that not only is the species conserved but the people who are harvesting are also taken care of at all levels.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
In terms of conservation, is there a trap limit to what Potlotek can put in the water in that area?
6:55 p.m.
Fishery Coordinator, Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, Potlotek First Nation
Currently the trap limit per individual is set at 70. That number was derived from an economic analysis that we did as a community to ensure not only the sustainability of the area but also the protection of our treaty right to a moderate livelihood.
It was perceived and understood that this is a very new fishery for Potlotek. The capacity was somewhat less than in other communities. It will be a very big endeavour to find resources to get vessels, traps, etc. The fishery will have not only a high learning curve but high expense. Potlotek settled on 70 traps per individual for those reasons.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Give me a sense of how many individuals you think are out there.
6:55 p.m.
Fishery Coordinator, Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, Potlotek First Nation
I believe around 27 Potlotek individuals are fishing across six or seven vessels.
6:55 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Okay.
For my last question, Chief Wilbert, you said you were totally transparent and you've involved the fisheries associations. Can you tell us a little about how you went about doing that?
6:55 p.m.
Potlotek First Nation
It was through conversations, through phone calls, talking to—
6:55 p.m.
Potlotek First Nation
It was conversations, through phone calls with some of the guys in the association.
That's why you didn't see a turnout from the non-native fisheries. They weren't there protesting. They were in the waters. We talked to them a couple of nights before, and it's ongoing. I didn't tell my fishermen what I was doing. I was scared it might backfire on me, but it worked out, though. At the end of the day—
7 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Can you confirm that you actually met in person with the fisheries associations?
7 p.m.
Potlotek First Nation
It was the president at the time, who was the go-between between Blaire Martell and Gilbert Boucher. They were going to put out a media release. I wouldn't believe it until I saw it in the media or in the newspaper or something. The next day it was in the newspaper. They said they wouldn't retaliate or anything like that, and he had it right in the paper, but the next day after that, I think they let them go also.
7 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Do you feel that total transparency in your plan on what you're taking out of the water is a good way to keep relations good with the other fishermen who aren't Mi'kmaq?
7 p.m.
Potlotek First Nation
I was just doing it for everybody to see. I wasn't picking sides. It didn't make a difference who it was. I just wanted the whole world to see what we were doing and I was being completely transparent about our catches.
7 p.m.
Liberal
7 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Battiste.
We'll now go to Madam Gill for six minutes or less, please.
7 p.m.
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thank the witnesses who are joining us, Chief Marshall, Mr. Martin, and, of course, all the committee members and our entire support team.
I would like to ask a question about the notion of urgency contained in the motion proposed by Mr. Battiste, which was passed.
I would like Mr. Marshall and Mr. Martin to share their assessment of what has been done by the appropriate authorities urgently to find a solution, not only over the past few weeks, since the beginning of this crisis, but in a much broader way.
7 p.m.
Fishery Coordinator, Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, Potlotek First Nation
Do you want me to do that one, Chief Marshall? I'm waiting for a signal. I can start.
7 p.m.
Potlotek First Nation
Go for it. I didn't understand what she was saying.
7 p.m.
Fishery Coordinator, Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, Potlotek First Nation
Turn your translation on. It's at the bottom of the screen..
Thank you, Ms. Gill, for the question.
Working specifically with Potlotek in the Unama’ki or the Cape Breton area of Nova Scotia, the situation has been dealt with very differently from St. Marys Bay. The coordination between Chief Marshall's community and the RCMP in the local area of St. Peter's is a stark contrast to that in St. Marys Bay. I've been in both areas personally, and I can vouch for that.
I can't speak too much to the situation in St. Marys Bay, because we're not specifically involved with that directly, but I can assure you that there has been a change in presence, and the mood and the environment have definitely been further secured, shall we say.
7 p.m.
Potlotek First Nation
Let me add a little bit on it also.
It's like night and day. We have a very good relationship with the RCMP at home. Not too many people brag about that, but we do, we actually do. One time you used to run from the RCMP at home, but we don't anymore. They're some of our good friends now. Also, there's more presence there today. For anything you really need, they're always there. That's the demographics where we are.
Even the non-native fisheries also haven't bothered us. I know they look at us and they take videos, but they don't say anything, which is good. You hear some grumbling in the background from other people and you don't know if that's true or not, but that's third party. So far, it's been going great.
The only thing we have is that DFO is harassing us every few days by taking our traps.