“The NunatuKavut Case for Fairness and Meaningful Participation in the Northern Shrimp Fishery” Presentation to the Minister’s Advisory Panel on LIFO June 10, 2016
We believe in the nation-to-nation relationship and are committed to making progress with the Government of Canada.
The nation-to-nation relationship requires learning about us and understanding who we are.
NunatuKavut means Our Ancient Land and is the territory of the Inuit of NunatuKavut – the Southern Inuit – who reside primarily in southern and central Labrador.
Our traditional territory covers the entirety of south central Labrador, the adjacent marine areas and also extends westward to the now Labrador/Quebec border.
The people of NunatuKavut.
What the people of NunatuKavut do.
The places where our people live.
The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) is the representative government of approximately 6,000 people who belong to this territory.
We are a people whose identity is shaped by the land , sea and ice . NCC's responsibility is to ensure the land , ice and water rights and titles of its people are recognized and respected as our Elders taught us.
“Our vision is a self-sufficient and self-governing territory, which upholds the principles of inclusion and equality, while honouring its Inuit history, culture and tradition.”
Our nation-to-nation relationship was clearly articulated with the British-Inuit Treaty of 1765.
NCC is a also a modern land claimant organization. Our Land Claim includes the Indigenous rights, , titles and Treaty rights of the Southern Inuit.
The people of NunatuKavut have been dependent upon the fishery (mammals and fish) for as long as we have existed.
NunatuKavut is the most adjacent and our people are the most dependent on the commercial fishery that occurs off southern/central Labrador (NAFO 2HJ).
Yet we the have lowest allocations of any adjacent Indigenous group.
Baffin 66° Is. Territory Greenland of Nunavut 64° 0B The total catch and biomass SFA 2 62° SFA 3 off Labrador (SFAs 5 & 6) is an 200 mile limit 60° 2G 200 m. SFA 4 500 m. order of magnitude greater fishing grounds 58° Hopedale than all other SFAs combined. + Cartwright 56° SFA 5 Labrador Hawke 54° +3K SFA 6 52° Quebec 50° Nfld. 48° 70° 68° 66° 64° 62° 60° 58° 56° 54° 52° 50° 48° 46°
It clearly abuts/overlays our Land Claim area and southern Inuit traditional marine use areas but we have less than 1% of the allocation.
DFO’s failure to apply adjacency and Aboriginal Rights during the northern shrimp fishery boom has been devastating. NCC Enters Fishery
And here’s our current situation.
LIFO is not the answer. It maintains status quo and marginalization. It severely constrains fishery and economic development for the southern Inuit of NunatuKavut. It is an abrogation of Adjacency, Historical Dependence and Indigenous Rights.
We think there’s a better way; access based on established criteria. Adjacency and Aboriginal rights. Aboriginal Minimum Threshold Quota Level. Historical attachment. Economic Viability/Need .
Ultimately, the southern Inuit of NunatuKavut are seek full and fair access to their own resources, including shrimp.
Recommend
More recommend
