Province House

In Nova Scotia, Mi’kmaq Lobster Fishermen Fought to Save Their Way of Life

"On October 16, Cheryl Maloney brought as much lobster as she could to the legislature building in Halifax and sold it on the sidewalk to raise awareness and pressure change: "People were lined up around the block," she said. "They brought their money and wanted to be part of it." She described the legal limbo faced by Mi'kmaw fishers: they "can legally go out fishing for lobster at any time, but they can’t sell it out of season. 'We’re stuck. When we do sell we face the risk of being charged and prosecuted. We have to sell it illegally on the side of the road,' she explains," adding that the goal is to "break those markets and pressure the government to have the legislation changed so that people can buy Mi’kmaw treaty lobster." - Ivy Knight