Evidence of meeting #7 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 mi'kmaq.
A video is available from Parliament.
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
Absolutely. For us to continue to meet with district or regional DFO.... We haven't got anywhere in 21 years. Why would we want to continue that and continue to raise the level of frustration and disappointment that clearly exists all across Atlantic right now?
Conservative
Richard Bragdon Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
Thank you to both of you.
It seems it's been expressly pointed out throughout this committee that there just has not been adequate direct dialogue among all of the parties, in particular with Crown-Indigenous Relations and the minister as well as with the communities that are going to be directly affected by all of these decisions and talks that are being undertaken.
Post-Marshall, can you describe the relationship? It seems that you've referenced it somewhat in testimony so far this evening, and I believe you referenced it, Chief Bernard. You've had ongoing talks with the P.E.I. commercial fishery. I'm sure Chief Ginnish can speak to some of the fisheries in New Brunswick.
Between you as communities and the fisheries, there has been some dialogue and conversation going on. How would you describe that post-Marshall? It seems that recently, perhaps because of what's been happening in Nova Scotia and building beneath the surface, there's been somewhat of a breakdown.
Can both of you speak to that?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Mr. Bragdon, I'm sorry, but you've completely gone over the time.
I have to be strict on the time because I want to get in full rounds of questioning and be fair to everybody.
Liberal
November 16th, 2020 / 5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to Chief Bernard and Chief Ginnish for taking the time to be with us today.
I'll start with Chief Ginnish, but I'm sure it probably also applies to Chief Bernard.
As you're certainly aware, Chief Ginnish, you've been involved with the negotiations and the so-called.... In our region it's the Jim Jones process that's been happening. I'm not saying that should replace the treaty rights; we all know that.
Several communities have signed on to it, but many more have not. In your opinion, what are the sticking points? I know this is just...I wouldn't call it a band-aid, but it's been 20 years since your community, Chief Ginnish, has been trying to access a crab quota, for instance.
Is there a way that we can at least get that and then move on to the rights?
I ask both of you.
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
As far as communities signing on to the Jones agreements is concerned, we don't know what they signed, so it's kind of hard to comment on what that was.
I know what was placed before our North Shore Mi'kmaq chiefs, our seven chiefs. Seven of the 10 poorest postal codes in Canada are in northern New Brunswick, and we still would not sign those agreements. It's an insult that, after 21 years, they would try to lock our rights up again for another 10.
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
It's really frustrating, Pat. We've had this discussion a number of times, and you understand that, when you look at the....
The Jones agreements purport themselves to be per capita and fair, and that might have influenced those communities. Maybe they had been treated more equitably in the initial allocations, but our communities weren't.
When I look at the 35 Mi'kmaq communities and I look at the per capita that was given to our first nation, we're number four on the list. I don't know how those decisions were made, but there was a great amount of unfairness in those initial allocations. Like I said earlier, you cannot build an economy for 250 homes for over 1,000 people with six lobster licences.
Liberal
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
I feel the frustration, Chief. I know I've had several ministers up in our riding, including Minister Leblanc and Minister Wilkinson, and we have gone over that. For a while I thought that at least we would get you a crab quota.
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
We actually have a crab licence. We have no quota, so figure that one out.
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
We got a one-time, 100-tonne allocation.
Liberal
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
It helped the community immensely. It generated $400,000.
We're in northern New Brunswick as well. Communities in New Brunswick have these HST revenue-sharing agreements. The communities that do well are the communities that are on the main highway, the Trans Canada. You get to Metepenagiag and you get to Eel Ground, and we're off the main drag. It's difficult to generate economic opportunity.
Liberal
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
What do you see going on now in Nova Scotia, Chief Ginnish and Chief Bernard?
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
I mean—
Liberal
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
I'm sure you're all following that. If you recall, last year you had some traps set out, which were seized by DFO. How do you see that? Do you see an inconsistency in the way they treat...?
Chief Executive Officer, North Shore Mi’gmaq District Council, Eel Ground First Nation
We're still waiting for a response to a snow crab treaty management plan that was submitted to DFO in March 2019. I shared emails in the packages I sent around: “Please respond. We know there is a surplus. Why can you not allow Eel Ground, the only Mi'kmaq first nation in the gulf region not to have some access to crab, to help build our economy?”
We can't get a straight answer. It's maddening.
Liberal
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
Chief Bernard, did you want to comment? I don't have much time left.
Lennox Island First Nation
One thing I'm getting very frustrated with is that we've sent letters. We sent a letter to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans months ago, in August, saying, “We want you to get back here and talk to us, because there is a lot of unrest going on.” We never even got a response to it.
We're not getting responses when we're actually asking them to come to talk to us. That has to be changed. A lot of treaty education has to happen in the Atlantic region, and I think the government has to support it.
Also, the minister has to stop calling this an illegal fishery, because it's not an illegal fishery. Also, the work needs to be done, by this committee or somebody, to change the legislation so that it includes the livelihood fishery within its wording.
That's the work you guys have to do.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thanks, Mr. Finnigan.
We'll now go to Madam Gill for two and a half minutes or less, please.