Nova Scotia lobster fishery protest finds its way to Hamilton

The impact of violent disputes over an Indigenous-run lobster fishery in Nova Scotia is being felt in Hamilton. A caravan of about 40 vehicles participated in a rolling blockade Tuesday afternoon on the Lincoln Alexander Expressway and Red Hill Valley Parkway. Organizers said their slow-moving caravan would head down Queenston Road to the RCMP detachment in Stoney Creek to protest the lack of action from the federal government.

The dispute in the Maritimes became violent after a southwestern Nova Scotia First Nation launched a self-regulated commercial fishery, in accordance with their treaty rights, outside of the federally designated fishing season. The Mounties are investigating several assaults that targeted Indigenous people and properties, and a suspicious fire over the weekend destroyed a lobster plant that stored the Mi’kmaq catch.

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