WOLASTOQEY TERRITORY – Three Wolastoqey Chiefs will defend themselves against a baseless claim they breached a court injunction – a claim being made by Mary Ann Holland, the Rothesay-based holder of the most lucrative elver license in New Brunswick in a Saint John court on Wednesday.
Chief Ross Perley of Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), Chief Allan Polchies Jr. of Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation), and Chief Shelley Sabbatis of Welamukotuk (Oromocto First Nation) are to appear as witnesses in court to respond to false accusations based on double hearsay from unidentified individuals.
“We are very frustrated that our efforts to move forward with a productive elver fishery, as interim access while we pursue our constitutionally-protected rights, are being distracted by baseless claims made by this commercial licence owner,” said Chief Perley.
“The allegations by Ms. Holland about the chiefs and the First Nations are false. The Wolastoqey chiefs have strongly encouraged their community members to abide by elver harvesting license conditions that have been authorized by DFO and to abide by the terms of an injunction,” said Chief Polchies.
“I and my fellow chiefs have worked hard to respect and collaborate with a fishery that has been
ill-managed by DFO and used for years to provide benefit and profit to only a handful of commercial license holders for years,” said Chief Sabbatis. “Our community members are only just now being afforded the opportunity to make a modest earning from harvesting under the DFO licence from a resource on Wolastoqey territory.”
Last year, DFO began the long-overdue process of addressing decades of injustice by introducing and expanding Wolastoqey communal access to the elver fishery.
The Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick is working with DFO to resolve a significant deficit in knowledge about the health of the elver stock in New Brunswick, which should inform better decisions about species health and quotas.
The leaders further reject the notion that Chiefs of First Nations should be held to a different standard than other government leaders.
“It is inconceivable the Premier or the mayor of Fredericton would be hauled into court to answer for the actions of every single one of their citizens,” said Darrah Beaver, Nihkanatpat (Executive Director) of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick.
Instead, the Chiefs would much rather focus on moving forward with a productive, sustainable and responsible fishery.
“Canada’s constitution prioritizes inherent Aboriginal rights. Despite this, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) failed for decades to respect the priority of First Nations in the fishery in Atlantic Canada as noted by the recent Senate committee report, Peace on the Water,’” Chief Perley said. “DFO must support these rights by ensuring our law-abiding fishers get the access they are entitled to.”
Media contact:
Logan Perley