A lobster fishing group in Nova Scotia has failed in its bid to persuade a judge that a First Nation does not have the treaty right to commercially fish for lobster out of season and without a licence. In a decision released Wednesday, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Ann Smith says the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance could not proceed with its claim against the Sipekne’katik First Nation because the court lacked jurisdiction. The non-profit alliance argued that the First Nation has engaged in unlawful commercial lobster fishing in St. Mary’s Bay since 2010 by ignoring federal rules, which they say has had a detrimental impact on lobster stocks. The First Nation has long argued that it has a treaty right to commercially fish for lobster without federal permits based on…
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