In the late 1990s and early 21st century, lobster fishing was the cause of troubles between Acadians and Mi'kmaq First Nations in the Canadian Maritimes.
The Acadian economy (and identity) relied substantially on fisheries, especially lobster.
In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of the First Nations and granted them unlimited rights to natural resources, based on an 18th-century treaty.
The federal government tried to take licenses and quotas from the traditional fishermen, whose fishing quota had already dropped dramatically in the years before, and give them to the natives.
Burnt Church, a reserve between Miramichi and the Acadian town of Neguac, was the hub of these troubles.
The tension increased and decreased with each fishing season, reaching its climax in April 2003, when a riot broke in the port of Shippagan, where three native-owned fishing ships and a fish processing plant were burnt down.
Since then, efforts have been made to bring Acadians and natives closer together, and the tension has slowly abated.
In the late 1990s and early 21st century, lobster fishing was the cause of troubles between Acadians and Mi'kmaq First Nations in the Canadian Maritimes. The Acadian economy (and identity) relied substantially on fisheries, especially lobster. In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of the First Nations and granted them unlimited rights to natural resources, based on an 18th-century treaty. The federal government tried to take licenses and quotas from the traditional fishermen, whose fishing quota had already dropped dramatically in the years before, and give them to the natives. Burnt Church, a reserve between Miramichi and the Acadian town of Neguac, was the hub of these troubles. The tension increased and decreased with each fishing season, reaching its climax in April 2003, when a riot broke in the port of Shippagan, where three native-owned fishing ships and a fish processing plant were burnt down. Since then, efforts have been made to bring Acadians and natives closer together, and the tension has slowly abated.
American lobster