Tag Archives: Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny
Fisheries minister announces external review of Mi’kmaw fishermen’s case
Two Mi’kmaw fishermen who were dropped off in the middle of nowhere in rural Nova Scotia in their sock feet on a cold and rainy March night, their cellphones seized by federal fisheries officers, hope an external investigation will shed some light on the actions of the officers that night. “Even though I went out and did what I did, still at the end of the day, it’s wrong what happened to me,” said Blaise Sylliboy of the Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton, one of the men detained for fishing for elvers at night along a river in Shelburne County early last spring. Federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier announced in a news release Monday morning that an external review process will examine the incident on March 26, 2024, as well as department policies, enforcement practices, and “procedures to eradicate the potential for systemic biases or racism.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
3 Mi’kmaw First Nations excited about moderate livelihood fisheries
Three Mi’kmaw communities are celebrating their dramatically increased roles in the lobster fishery around Cape Breton Island this spring. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced Tuesday it has renewed moderate livelihood understandings with Potlotek and We’koqma’q, and now Eskasoni has joined them. Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny said he is excited because up to 70 fishers will now be out on the water hauling in traps and earning a living. “It’s a really good thing, a really very big deal for us,” he said. Under interim understandings, the bands will fish during the commercial season, which is open now around Cape Breton and closes in mid-July. >click to read< 10:31
