Some Nipissing First Nation band members are taking matters into their own hands trying to promote greater efforts to ban not just illegal gill net fishing, but stop all commercial fishing in the lake.
BayToday has learned that a petition by Band members has been presented to the Band council asking for tighter enforcement on native fishers.
The petition reads:
"We, the undersigned, sign this petition, not as an attack against the fishermen who have adopted sustainable ways of fishing, but this petition is to carry out an obligation by the people of Nipissing for the protection of treaty rights granted to all of the Nipissings as a collective group, not individuals. This is the way the Treaty was signed, as a collective. We feel the fishing rights belong to us, not a few. We are speaking up for those who have no voice: the children, the next seven generations, the fish, and they deserve our respect as equal parts of society."
"We, the community are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to stop commercial fishing in Lake Nipissing, so that we can keep our inherent rights to fish sustainably for future generations. "
Band member Tory Fisher told BayToday that he started the petition "for future generations of our children and community".
"There are some good fishermen here, but what are we doing with the unregulated ones?", the 25 year old asks.
He wants more regulations from his own people.
"We have fishermen who fish sustainably and some who do not. We understand that it is a collective issue (Nipissing First Nation and surrounding areas) and we all need to play our part as community members to protect the fish for future generations."
"I'm really concerned we won't have fish for the future."
Fisher says he collected 20 signatures from band members, and presented the petition to the band council at its July 8th meeting.
"They said they would look into it," Fisher said. "I'll just wait and see."
Meanwhile there are other band members who believe inaction by the leaders of their community is a vote for the destruction of the fishery.
And there have been allegations that a couple of community leaders are actually protecting the violators.
Efforts to contact Band Chief Marianna Couchie for a response were unsuccessful. A person at the band office said she is presently on holidays.
Note: for purposes of clarity, the petition was for NFN members only, and presented to band council. There is no general petition that BayToday is aware of.
