This case involved a claim to an aboriginal fishing right. In an application under Federal Court Rule 312 to admit supplemental affidavit evidence of oral history, the Prothonotary denied the application primarily on the grounds that the evidence of oral history was available at the time the application was filed. Upon appeal from a decision of a Prothonotary, the court …
Full SummaryAndrews v. Canada (A.G.), 2009 NLCA 70
This case involved a superior court action by a group of snow crab fish harvesters who alleged that they had a contract with the Minister of Fisheries whereby they gave up their historic right to a proportionate share of a relatively large increase in the total allowable catch of snow crab in the 1990’s in exchange for a promise from …
Full SummaryArsenault v. Canada, 2009 FCA 300
This case involved a group of traditional crabbers from Prince Edward Island who who were promised financial assistance totalling 37.4 million to offset a 10.85 per reduction in their share of the total allowable catch that was re-allocated to aboriginal fishers pursuant to the Marshall Response initiative. This compensation package was incorporated into the Management Plan and and licences were …
Full SummaryAssoc. des Crabiers Acadiens Inc. v. Canada, 2009 FCA 357
Ralph v. Canada, 2009 FC 1274
This case involved an East coast fisher who applied for a turbot licence when a limited entry fishery was announced in 2000, but failed to obtain the licence because of insufficient landings during the qualifying period. He filed an appeal to the Atlantic Fisheries Licence Appeal Board ("AFLAB") and asked for that a licence be granted due to extenuating circumstances, …
Full SummaryNunavut Wildlife Management Board v. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans et al., 2009 FC 16
Barry Group, a Canadian Fishing Company, sold 1900t of turbot quota to two other offshore fishing enterprises for in excess of $10 million. The Minister approved the transfer in late January 2008 and after completing the usual searches, the purchasers completed the transaction in early March 2008, more than 30 days after the Minister’s decision. On March 14, 2008, the …
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