Tag Archives: Alex McDonald
Livelihood lobster fishing cast adrift: How DFO’s inaction has history repeating itself
Its resources are in high demand by Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers alike, and for more than 20 years it has seen tensions between the two communities turn from boil to simmer, to boil again. Recently, it made headlines internationally. Tensions in the area erupted into violence and destruction after the Sipekne’katik First Nation launched its own, self-regulated fishery, outside of the commercial season, based on Mi’kmaq treaty rights. To Alex McDonald, one of the oldest still-fishing Indigenous lobster boat captains of the area, the chaos this year was nothing new. >click to read< 08:14
Charges dropped against Sipekne’katik fisherman who had his boat burned
A Mi’kmaq fisherman whose boat was stolen and burned in October had three fisheries regulation charges against him dismissed last week. Alex McDonald, a member of the Sipekne’katik band, had been charged with fishing for lobster out of season, catching shellfish in breach of regulations and a lobster tag violation. McDonald, 56, was to appear in Digby provincial court on Feb. 23 but the federal Crown asked to have the charges dismissed. >click to read<21:22
Arson investigation continues into Christmas Day lobster pound fire in Digby County
A suspicious fire, that destroyed a lobster pound on Little Paradise Road in St. Bernard, has been labelled by the RCMP, as an act of arson. St. Bernard Fire Chief Daniel Gaudet said his crew and firefighters from Little Brook got the call to report to the scene of the fire about 4 a.m. Christmas morning.,, The initial blaze was reported to the RCMP by 4:45 a.m. Christmas morning after the initial blaze was labeled as “suspicious”.
Sipekne’katik band councillor’s lobster pound destroyed in fire
A Sipekne’katik band councillor says a lobster pound he owns in southwestern Nova Scotia was destroyed by fire in the early hours on Christmas Day. Alex McDonald said he was contacted by the RCMP about the fire at his lobster pound located in the tiny community of Saint Bernard near Weymouth, N.S. According to McDonald, the lobster pound was completely destroyed in the fire. click here to read the story 17:12
Lobster wars
Burned out fishing boats, thousands of pounds of dumped, dead lobsters and allegations of a booming black market for the popular crustacean have drawn federal investigators to Nova Scotia’s most lucrative fishing grounds in the lead-up to lobster season. Tensions have been running high in recent weeks along the small wharves in the communities that dot St. Mary’s Bay, a well-known breeding ground for lobsters during the summer. While conservation laws prevent lobster fishers from harvesting the shellfish during breeding season in order to safeguard stocks, stunned locals watched thousands of pounds of lobsters that appeared to be commercial loads pass over their docks though the summer months. click here to read the story 10:53
Fisherman says dispute not between natives, non-natives
When Alex McDonald went to check on his fishing boat in Comeauville on Monday, it was gone. Later that day a Department of Fisheries and Oceans patrol found the Buck and Doe burning on St. Marys Bay.,, “But I don’t believe it’s the (non-native) guys I fish beside. I think it’s outsiders that did this.” Two other boats that belong to non-Aboriginal fishermen, who also fish from Saulnierville, have been hit. The accusation by Wagner and other fishermen is that some non-native lobster dealers have been buying lobster from First Nations members while the season is closed. click here to read the story 11:37
RCMP investigating two suspicious boat fires in southwestern Nova Scotia
The most recent incident occurred on Monday, Oct. 9 when the Buck and Doe fishing vessel was reported missing from the Comeauville Wharf in Comeauville, Digby County.,,, A few days earlier, on Oct. 5 at 7:44 a.m., a fire was reported aboard the Amanda’s Pride 1. The vessel had been docked at the slip in Weymouth North. The RCMP say an initial investigation determined that something was put in the engine hatch, which caused the fire. click here to read the story 16:42
Lobster boat torched amid tensions in Nova Scotia – Alex McDonald said he gets along well with non-Indigenous lobster fishermen in the area and doesn’t believe any of them are to blame. “I know the other fishermen so I don’t believe it was my fellow fishermen that fish beside me. click here to read the story
Indigenous fisherman’s boat vanishes after wharf fire in Saulnierville, N.S.
When Alex McDonald arrived at Comeauville wharf in Saulnierville, N.S., Monday afternoon and saw his fishing boat was missing, he said he was “stunned.” The part of the wharf where McDonald’s boat — Buck and Doe — had been tied up was burned and the seven thick ropes that kept it there were also burned off. “It’s obvious they burnt it off because they couldn’t untie it. Whoever did it, it was well planned, they had to come there with torches to burn that rope off,” said McDonald. “There had to be more than person and then they would have towed the boat out or they would have hotwired it.” click here to read the story 19:00
