Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

ESGENOÔPETITJ (Burnt Church, New Brunswick) - Late Sunday night, August 13, 2000 the waters off the coast of Burnt Church, New Brunswick were turned to storm as a flotilla of vessels from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) conducted an armed raid against unarmed fishers of the ESGENOÔPETITJ First Nations (EFN) community. Several EFN fishers were arrested and one man was injured by DFO officers. Observers reported hearing several gunshots during the course of the raid. Hundreds of lobster traps were pulled from the water by at least 14 DFO boats in an all-night operation.

This is the most aggressive action of the DFO's ongoing campaign against the native fishers in recent months. While Mi'kmaq fishers assert their inherent treaty right to fish using their own fishing management plan, the DFO continues to violate international law by trying to regulate the native fishery. The Canadian government refuses to dialogue with the Mi'kmaq people on a nation-to-nation basis.

The action began on Sunday night at about 11:00 PM when EFN community members spotted DFO vessels seizing traps under cover of darkness. Several small native boats confronted the DFO and returned visibly shaken. One young EFN fisher said that the DFO was trying to kill him. "They pointed a gun at my head," he said, "and so I said `Go ahead and shoot me!'" CPTer Nina Bailey-Dick, who accompanied some of the EFN fishers in a boat at the time, was also shaken by the incident. "That was scary! We were just two small boats going out in the dark water to confront seven fully equipped and armed DFO boats. It felt like we were in the middle of a police state."

After agreeing that there was little they could do to stop dozens of armed DFO officers, some people of the community decided to set up two roadblocks on Highway 11 as a response to the DFO activities. The roadblocks were peacefully maintained through the night.

Meanwhile, one CPTer and another observer went to the nearby Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) office in Tracadie to inquire about the well-being of the EFN fishers who had been arrested They were told that the men were alright and cared for however they were not allowed to see the men. Later, during the visit an ambulance appeared at the station and an RCMP spokesperson said that one of the arrested persons was injured and needed medical attention. Thirty-year old Brian Bartibogue was choked to unconsciousness by DFO officers who subsequently refused him medical attention.

By Monday morning the waters were cleared of virtually all the lobster traps. DFO and Coast Guard boats cruised by ominously, picking out any remaining traps they could find, and intimidating native fishers as they went out to survey the waters. A large DFO plane and a DFO helicopter flew low over the EFN fishers at least a dozen times later in the day.

Also on Monday morning, members of the EFN community held a meeting in which they decided to continue with their lobster fishing in spite of the intimidation from the DFO. Members of neighbouring First Nations communities have agreed to assist the people of EFN with a security team that will protect the Mi'kmaq fishers from further harassment by the DFO.

CPT Reserve Corps members Nina Bailey-Dick and Matthew Bailey-Dick have been in the EFN since Saturday August 12, documenting the activities of the DFO and accompanying the people of ESGENOÔPETITJ as they struggle for recognition of their fishing rights. CPT plans to maintain a presence in the EFN community.