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Global News
01-05-2025
- General
- Global News
For Mi'kmaq fishers working within Ottawa's baby eel rules, it's a ‘peaceful' season
Some Mi'kmaq harvesters say working within Ottawa's quotas for the contentious baby eel fishery is helping calm the tense atmosphere in their river workplaces. In the shallows of the Gold River last Friday night, as the tiny, translucent eels known as elvers emerged from the mud, Jay Pennell — a member of the nearby Wasoqopa'q First Nation — swept his nets back and forth through the water and recalled past confrontations. 'There's been lots of incidents on rivers we've been on in prior years,' Pennell said. 'But right here on Gold River, there's been nothing this year …. It's very peaceful.' By day he's a carpenter in the community 75 kilometres southwest of Halifax; at night he dons hip waders and dips a mesh net in the chilly tidal river, catching a 2025 quota allocated by the Kwilmu'kkw Maw-klusuaqn, or KMK — the administrative arm of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Story continues below advertisement Pennell said that before Ottawa negotiated the KMK fishery, relations were poor with non-Indigenous fishers harvesting the river. Under the new system, the First Nations under the KMK umbrella have exclusive rights. And Pennell said when Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers arrive, he refers them to the 'river monitor,' a member of the KMK team who logs each fisher's harvest. 'I find DFO is a lot more respectful this year when they come down to the water than in the past,' he said. 2:07 Baby eel poaching causing frustration in Canada's maritime provinces That's a sharp contrast with the strains elsewhere in the province between federal enforcement and Indigenous fishers who aren't accepting federal limits. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy On April 26, a fisherman from Sipeknekatik First Nation, one of three communities rejecting Ottawa's quota system, was charged with assault with a weapon for allegedly backing his car into a fisheries officer who wanted to inspect his catch. Days earlier, four men were arrested for fishing without licences and 60 kilograms of elvers — worth about $100,000 — were seized and released back into the Musquodoboit River. Story continues below advertisement Justin Martin, who oversees the KMK program, said his team of nine is making progress in establishing the 'communal' fishery, even amid the occasional harshly worded social media post from Mi'kmaq fishers who criticize the catch limits being imposed. 'There's a public perception of lawlessness in this fishery and that's not the case. We have hundreds of fishers actively demonstrating self-governed, conservation-based management,' Martin said in an interview Friday. Under the rules negotiated with Ottawa, the eight First Nations in KMK have received a total quota of just over 1,900 kilograms — about 20 per cent of the total elver catch for the Maritimes. This quota and exclusive access to certain rivers was shifted from the commercial licence-holders, who have received no compensation for the transfer. Martin said the communities involved have opted to allow a large number of fishers with small maximum catches, based on the Mi'kmaq principle of 'Netukulimk,' which roughly translates as 'take only what you need.' He said that's meant about 750 fishers were allocated an initial minimum quota of one kilogram, with the ability to apply for up to four more kilograms after they catch their first kilogram. In addition, he said KMK prohibits the use of 'highly efficient' fyke nets, a funnel-shaped net that can catch large quantities of elvers. Stanley King, a manager with commercial licence holder Atlantic Elver Fishery Ltd., said in a recent email that while reconciliation with First Nations 'is a worthwhile pursuit,' the family-owned businesses have lost large portions of their livelihood. He said it's simply wrong that Ottawa hasn't provided compensation. Story continues below advertisement He also said it's unfair KMK fishers are permitted to track their catch on a separate app before the information is transferred to the federal 'Elver Monitoring and Traceability' app his employees use. He worries that opens the door to some of the catch not being reported. Debra Buott-Matheson, a spokeswoman for DFO Maritimes, said in an email that the department is working with KMK to ensure information from their harvesters is entered into their system. 1:52 Federal government scraps elver fishery quota plan after backlash 2:08 Federal fisheries proposal would slash commercial elver quota in 2025 Prices, meanwhile, have plunged this season, from highs of about $5,000 per kilogram two seasons ago to current levels of $1,500 per kilogram — a concern for longtime elver fishers and the new Indigenous entrants. Story continues below advertisement David Bishop, another Wasoqopa'q fisher working on the Gold River, said that while he appreciates the calm on the water, the tight catch limits mean small returns for the effort he puts in. He thinks committed fishers like him who are willing to put in long hours should get a higher quota. 'There are people who may be here just a few days who have the right to have the same catch I have,' he said. With current prices, five kilograms of elvers brings in about $7,500, a fraction of the roughly $30,000 Pennell said he could earn a few seasons ago when prices were higher. However, he said he's hopeful in future seasons prices will return to old levels. And the elver income helps his daughter, who fishes her quota alongside him, to cover expenses like her university tuition. 'This is the first year. We're going to learn from this and build on it,' he said.
Hamilton Spectator
01-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
For Mi'kmaq fishers working within Ottawa's baby eel rules, it's a ‘peaceful' season
GOLD RIVER - Some Mi'kmaq harvesters say working within Ottawa's quotas for the contentious baby eel fishery is helping calm the tense atmosphere in their river workplaces. In the shallows of the Gold River last Friday night, as the tiny, translucent eels known as elvers emerged from the mud, Jay Pennell — a member of the nearby Wasoqopa'q First Nation — swept his nets back and forth through the water and recalled past confrontations. 'There's been lots of incidents on rivers we've been on in prior years,' Pennell said. 'But right here on Gold River, there's been nothing this year .... It's very peaceful.' By day he's a carpenter in the community 75 kilometres southwest of Halifax; at night he dons hip waders and dips a mesh net in the chilly tidal river, catching a 2025 quota allocated by the Kwilmu'kkw Maw-klusuaqn, or KMK — the administrative arm of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Pennell said that before Ottawa negotiated the KMK fishery, relations were poor with non-Indigenous fishers harvesting the river. Under the new system, the First Nations under the KMK umbrella have exclusive rights. And Pennell said when Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers arrive, he refers them to the 'river monitor,' a member of the KMK team who logs each fisher's harvest. 'I find DFO is a lot more respectful this year when they come down to the water than in the past,' he said. That's a sharp contrast with the strains elsewhere in the province between federal enforcement and Indigenous fishers who aren't accepting federal limits. On April 26, a fisherman from Sipeknekatik First Nation, one of three communities rejecting Ottawa's quota system, was charged with assault with a weapon for allegedly backing his car into a fisheries officer who wanted to inspect his catch. Days earlier, four men were arrested for fishing without licences and 60 kilograms of elvers — worth about $100,000 — were seized and released back into the Musquodoboit River. Justin Martin, who oversees the KMK program, said his team of nine is making progress in establishing the 'communal' fishery, even amid the occasional harshly worded social media post from Mi'kmaq fishers who criticize the catch limits being imposed. 'There's a public perception of lawlessness in this fishery and that's not the case. We have hundreds of fishers actively demonstrating self-governed, conservation-based management,' Martin said in an interview Friday. Under the rules negotiated with Ottawa, the eight First Nations in KMK have received a total quota of just over 1,900 kilograms — about 20 per cent of the total elver catch for the Maritimes. This quota and exclusive access to certain rivers was shifted from the commercial licence-holders, who have received no compensation for the transfer. Martin said the communities involved have opted to allow a large number of fishers with small maximum catches, based on the Mi'kmaq principle of 'Netukulimk,' which roughly translates as 'take only what you need.' He said that's meant about 750 fishers were allocated an initial minimum quota of one kilogram, with the ability to apply for up to four more kilograms after they catch their first kilogram. In addition, he said KMK prohibits the use of 'highly efficient' fyke nets, a funnel-shaped net that can catch large quantities of elvers. Stanley King, a manager with commercial licence holder Atlantic Elver Fishery Ltd., said in a recent email that while reconciliation with First Nations 'is a worthwhile pursuit,' the family-owned businesses have lost large portions of their livelihood. He said it's simply wrong that Ottawa hasn't provided compensation. He also said it's unfair KMK fishers are permitted to track their catch on a separate app before the information is transferred to the federal 'Elver Monitoring and Traceability' app his employees use. He worries that opens the door to some of the catch not being reported. Debra Buott-Matheson, a spokeswoman for DFO Maritimes, said in an email that the department is working with KMK to ensure information from their harvesters is entered into their system. Prices, meanwhile, have plunged this season, from highs of about $5,000 per kilogram two seasons ago to current levels of $1,500 per kilogram — a concern for longtime elver fishers and the new Indigenous entrants. David Bishop, another Wasoqopa'q fisher working on the Gold River, said that while he appreciates the calm on the water, the tight catch limits mean small returns for the effort he puts in. He thinks committed fishers like him who are willing to put in long hours should get a higher quota. 'There are people who may be here just a few days who have the right to have the same catch I have,' he said. With current prices, five kilograms of elvers brings in about $7,500, a fraction of the roughly $30,000 Pennell said he could earn a few seasons ago when prices were higher. However, he said he's hopeful in future seasons prices will return to old levels. And the elver income helps his daughter, who fishes her quota alongside him, to cover expenses like her university tuition. 'This is the first year. We're going to learn from this and build on it,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
For Mi'kmaq fishers working within Ottawa's baby eel rules, it's a ‘peaceful' season
GOLD RIVER – Some Mi'kmaq harvesters say working within Ottawa's quotas for the contentious baby eel fishery is helping calm the tense atmosphere in their river workplaces. In the shallows of the Gold River last Friday night, as the tiny, translucent eels known as elvers emerged from the mud, Jay Pennell — a member of the nearby Wasoqopa'q First Nation — swept his nets back and forth through the water and recalled past confrontations. 'There's been lots of incidents on rivers we've been on in prior years,' Pennell said. 'But right here on Gold River, there's been nothing this year …. It's very peaceful.' By day he's a carpenter in the community 75 kilometres southwest of Halifax; at night he dons hip waders and dips a mesh net in the chilly tidal river, catching a 2025 quota allocated by the Kwilmu'kkw Maw-klusuaqn, or KMK — the administrative arm of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Pennell said that before Ottawa negotiated the KMK fishery, relations were poor with non-Indigenous fishers harvesting the river. Under the new system, the First Nations under the KMK umbrella have exclusive rights. And Pennell said when Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers arrive, he refers them to the 'river monitor,' a member of the KMK team who logs each fisher's harvest. 'I find DFO is a lot more respectful this year when they come down to the water than in the past,' he said. That's a sharp contrast with the strains elsewhere in the province between federal enforcement and Indigenous fishers who aren't accepting federal limits. On April 26, a fisherman from Sipeknekatik First Nation, one of three communities rejecting Ottawa's quota system, was charged with assault with a weapon for allegedly backing his car into a fisheries officer who wanted to inspect his catch. Days earlier, four men were arrested for fishing without licences and 60 kilograms of elvers — worth about $100,000 — were seized and released back into the Musquodoboit River. Justin Martin, who oversees the KMK program, said his team of nine is making progress in establishing the 'communal' fishery, even amid the occasional harshly worded social media post from Mi'kmaq fishers who criticize the catch limits being imposed. 'There's a public perception of lawlessness in this fishery and that's not the case. We have hundreds of fishers actively demonstrating self-governed, conservation-based management,' Martin said in an interview Friday. Under the rules negotiated with Ottawa, the eight First Nations in KMK have received a total quota of just over 1,900 kilograms — about 20 per cent of the total elver catch for the Maritimes. This quota and exclusive access to certain rivers was shifted from the commercial licence-holders, who have received no compensation for the transfer. Martin said the communities involved have opted to allow a large number of fishers with small maximum catches, based on the Mi'kmaq principle of 'Netukulimk,' which roughly translates as 'take only what you need.' He said that's meant about 750 fishers were allocated an initial minimum quota of one kilogram, with the ability to apply for up to four more kilograms after they catch their first kilogram. In addition, he said KMK prohibits the use of 'highly efficient' fyke nets, a funnel-shaped net that can catch large quantities of elvers. Stanley King, a manager with commercial licence holder Atlantic Elver Fishery Ltd., said in a recent email that while reconciliation with First Nations 'is a worthwhile pursuit,' the family-owned businesses have lost large portions of their livelihood. He said it's simply wrong that Ottawa hasn't provided compensation. He also said it's unfair KMK fishers are permitted to track their catch on a separate app before the information is transferred to the federal 'Elver Monitoring and Traceability' app his employees use. He worries that opens the door to some of the catch not being reported. Debra Buott-Matheson, a spokeswoman for DFO Maritimes, said in an email that the department is working with KMK to ensure information from their harvesters is entered into their system. Prices, meanwhile, have plunged this season, from highs of about $5,000 per kilogram two seasons ago to current levels of $1,500 per kilogram — a concern for longtime elver fishers and the new Indigenous entrants. David Bishop, another Wasoqopa'q fisher working on the Gold River, said that while he appreciates the calm on the water, the tight catch limits mean small returns for the effort he puts in. He thinks committed fishers like him who are willing to put in long hours should get a higher quota. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 'There are people who may be here just a few days who have the right to have the same catch I have,' he said. With current prices, five kilograms of elvers brings in about $7,500, a fraction of the roughly $30,000 Pennell said he could earn a few seasons ago when prices were higher. However, he said he's hopeful in future seasons prices will return to old levels. And the elver income helps his daughter, who fishes her quota alongside him, to cover expenses like her university tuition. 'This is the first year. We're going to learn from this and build on it,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2025.
CBC
31-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
A proposed 10-storey apartment has one St. John's resident frustrated with the city
A proposed 10-storey apartment building in St. John's has one resident worried that the city isn't following its own rules. KMK Capital wants to build a 107-unit apartment building at 34 New Cove Road, the site of the former MAX recreation facility. Mary Fearon says she had "mixed feelings" when she heard city council voted to exempt the project from the step-back requirement, which is meant to mitigate the impact of wind, shadow and height. "Those rules and regulations and policies and procedures are in place to ensure that we're meeting the needs of who [the] city works for, which are the community members, and the city as a whole, right? Not just developers," she told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. Fearon feels the city didn't follow its own municipal plan to make sure new builds are appropriate to the neighbourhood. She wants KMK to reduce its proposal's height and is worried about additional traffic in the area. "There's lots of available spaces in St. John's right now where housing could be built," said Fearon. CBC News has asked KMK for comment. Building has changed But Mayor Danny Breen says the city has a "robust" engagement process over proposals, and council considers those arguments and other information when it makes decisions. "In this case, this is a project that I've concluded that's in a very good location for an apartment building," said Breen. He pointed to its proximity walking trails and amenities like grocery stories and public transit, as well as its impacts to traffic. Breen said the city looked at the impact of the set-back and determined there will be a shadow in the evening that will go over the law office across the street and to the cemetery. "That was the biggest impact from not having a set-back. So council decided not to require the set-back," he said. He added the city can waive requirements if there is a solid reason given, which, he said, isn't done lightly. If council had determined a set-back was required, Breen said it would have resulted in KMK eliminating several apartment units. "That would have changed the economics of the building," he said, adding that could mean the remaining units are more expensive to rent. "One thing that I think people should realize is that the economics of building these buildings is changing. It's getting very, very expensive and there is going to be a need to have higher buildings." Breen said there are about 2,000 housing units currently in various stages of the city's application process.
