Tensions rise on Nova Scotia river as Indigenous eel fishers reject Ottawa rules – Halifax [Video]

Two commercial fishers harvesting baby eels under new federal rules say they felt they had to stop fishing on Sunday night when a large group of Indigenous harvesters arrived at the river with nets.

Suzy Edwards, an employee of Atlantic Elver Fishery, said one of the fishers told her he was from Sipekne’katik First Nation and they were making a “statement” that they don’t accept Ottawa’s recently imposed system that distributed the quota for the lucrative catch.

“We can’t fish basically is what we’re saying,” Edwards said in an interview Sunday night after the encounter. “There are too many people there and we can’t go there and dip (our nets).”

Under the system, the licence holders — including the 20 First Nations who were new entrants — are given quotas based on how many people live in their communities, with rivers assigned where each licence holder is permitted to harvest …