by Conservation officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans seized 37 of Potlotek First Nations’ lobster traps on the first day of the season yesterday.
Chief Wilbert Marshall says his community’s moderate livelihood fisheries plan was “under consultation” with DFO, and that the harvester whose traps were seized was exercising their treaty rights.
He says the seizure is a failure of the Government of Canada to accommodate Indigenous rights.
Fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan announced new regulations in March, and warned harvesters they could expect to see more conservation officers in the area.
