Tag Archives: Doug Wentzell
DFO claims it can and will enforce law on First Nations fishers
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is claiming that it has the authority to enforce fisheries laws on two Nova Scotia First Nations, and that it can and will send officers into First Nations to enforce its regulations. In a March 18 letter to Sipekne’katik Chief Michelle Glasgow, DFO’s Maritimes region director general Doug Wentzell refuted claims that a series of court rulings deprived his department of authority to manage First Nations fishers.“The courts have repeatedly upheld the Crown’s role in regulating the fishery, as well as the use of licensing as part of fisheries management, even when regulating the exercise of Aboriginal or Treaty rights,” reads Wentzell’s letter, obtained by The Chronicle Herald. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:52
Federal government pitches $260M plan to increase First Nation fishing access
A nearly $260-million initiative by the federal government aimed at expanding fisheries access to First Nation communities is being met with questions from Mi’kmaw and non-Indigenous representatives alike. The three-year project by Fisheries and Oceans Canada was included in last month’s fall economic statement under the heading of Indigenous reconciliation. The aim is to “further implement the right of 34 [Mi’kmaw] and Wolastoqey Nations and the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood under the 1760-61 Peace and Friendship Treaties, as upheld in the Marshall decisions,” according to a statement from DFO spokesperson Axel Rioux. “Funding can be used towards the purchase of access, vessels and gear, and to support development and testing of governance and management structures, as well as participation in discussions with DFO at fisheries negotiation tables, with the aim of reaching long-term collaborative management agreements.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:32
DFO ordered to improve officer gear to counter threat from ‘criminals’ with firearms
In a report issued Friday to the Fisheries Department, the federal Labour Program’s compliance unit concludes “protective equipment and tactical protocols” currently used during fisheries investigations are inadequate. The investigator concludes fishery officers in the Maritime region are having to confront people with weapons, including cases where intelligence indicates the fisher “keeps an assault rifle on board.” The report also says there are cases where “outlaw motorcycle gangs are armed with firearms.” It concurs with fishery officers that “a number of the illegal fishers that officers deal with regularly are convicted violent criminals and have threatened officers directly and on social media.” Doug Wentzell, the federal Fisheries Department’s regional manager for the Maritimes, said in an interview last week that a number of officers have refused field work, but he declined to say how many. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:45
