Canadian police arrest 14 Indians as lobster standoff escalates

MONCTON, New Brunswick (Reuters) -- Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested 14 Indians and seized four fishing boats on Tuesday in an escalation of an already tense standoff over lobster fishing rights on the Atlantic coast.

Canadian fisheries official Jim Jones told Reuters that the natives arrested were illegally fishing lobster out of season in waters off New Brunswick's Burnt Church reserve.

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The Mi'kmaq Indians contend they are fighting for their traditional right to harvest lobsters year-round, recognized in a controversial Canadian Supreme Court ruling. Ottawa maintains the ruling also reaffirmed the government's right to impose conservation measures in the area.

"We arrested them because the level of fishing activity has markedly increased over the past few days," Jones said, stressing that larger fishing vessels from neighboring Indian communities had also stepped up their presence in the area.

The natives and federal officials have clashed, sometimes violently, over the past few weeks as the Indian fishermen continued to reject federal demands to remove lobster traps set in the off-season. The natives had set up a roadblock on a busy highway to back demands and federal and native boats have collided several times on the open waters.

Native leaders said they were outraged by the arrests and being treated like criminals.

"The federal government is acting in an illegal manner and maintaining that attitude in spite of mounting and legal criticism and questions about its actions," Burnt Church native leader Wilbur Dedam said in a statement, stressing Tuesday's actions would undermine the mediation between both parties.

Jones said one of the native boats capsized during Tuesday's raid, dumping four people into Miramichi Bay, on the northeastern tip of New Brunswick. One native fisherman was hurt in the raid.

"The two smaller vessels were interfering during the arrests," Jones said.

Only a small quantity of lobster was found, he added.

He said that those arrested could face criminal and civil charges.

The latest confrontation follows Monday's appointment of Bob Rae, the former premier of Ontario, as mediator in the dispute. Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal said Rae, who was nominated by Mi'kmaq leaders, will try to consult with native and commercial fishermen in the region over the lobster catch.

But fisheries officials have said they will only negotiate with the natives if there is an agreement on temporary fishing levels honored by the Indian bands.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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