Federal fisheries minister calls for review of arrest, treatment of Mikmaq fishers – Halifax [Video]

The federal Fisheries Department has called an external review into the conduct of its officers who allegedly arrested and dropped off two Indigenous men at a Nova Scotia gas station without shoes or phones.

The two Mi’kmaq fishers from Cape Breton were arrested near Shelburne, N.S., in the late evening of March 26, and the pair have said they had to walk for about six hours before they could get help.

Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier said Monday in a news release that the allegations are “unacceptable.” The minister said she had the opportunity on May 31 to “meet with and, most importantly, listen to the poignant testimony of one of the two … individuals involved in the incident.

“I am committed to shedding light on this matter. We must work together to eradicate systemic racism, wherever it exists,” she said.

Kevin Hartling, who is from Membertou First Nation, and Blaise …