Saturday, October 24, 2020

캐나다 동쪽, NovaScotia 해안에서는 원주민과 일반 어부간,Lobster 어획, 주도권싸움으로 엉망진창.이럴수가.

Lobster 요리는 세계 어느나라에서나 Gourmet요리에 속하면서, 값또한 다른 먹거리에 비해 무척 비싸다. 겨울철에 큐바 휴양지로 여행을 가면, 일주일에 한번씩은 무진장 먹을수 있는 Lobster Eating Day가 있다. Grill에서 Cook이 직접 구워주는 그맛은 일품으로 기억하고 있다. 

오래전에 Nova Scotia 남쪽에 있는 Peggy's Cove 탐방할 기회가 있었다. 한국에서 친구 부부가 태평양을 건너와 우리 부부와같이 방문했을때였다. 기억에 남는것은, Peggy's Cove에 있는 바위언덕위에 세워진 Lighthouse다. 캐나다의 수많은 등대들 중에서 가장 유명한 등대중의 하나로 지금도 그임무를 충실히 수행하고 있다.  관광지로 유명세를 타고있는 Cove 입구에 들어서면 우리의 배꼽높이로 세워진 바위벽에는 옛선조들의 삶의애환이 그림으로 잘 새겨져 있는, 독특한 곳이기도 하다.

Lobster특산지인 그곳에서 저녁에 들린 식당에서 Lobster 요리를 시켰는데....아뿔사. 값이 내가살고 있는 내륙지방보다 휠씬더 비싼데 우선 놀랐었다. 비싼값에 우선, Lobster요리맛을 제대로 음미를 했었는지? 지금도 비쌌다는 것만 기억에 남아있다. 관광객들은, 우리뿐만이 아니고, 대부분다 산지이기에 훨씬더 싸고 풍족하리라 기대했었는데, 완전히 기대에 어긋났던 저녁이었었다.

캐나다의 어업자원은 아마도 지구상에서 가장 크다고 해도 과언은 아니다. 해마다 이맘때가 되면 동부 해안의 Maritime Provinces에서는, 특히 Nova Scotia주를 중심으로 Lobster수확을 하기위해 눈코뜰새 없이, 그곳지방의 어부들을 바쁘게 한다. 그리고 이어획 기간이 끝나면, 이들은 다시 다음 Season까지, 국가에서 주는 실업수당으로 삶을 연명해 가는, 어느면에서는 열심히 세금을 내는 다른 Canadian들의 등골을 빼먹으면서 산다고 표현해도 억지는 아닐것 같다.

내가 처음 이민왔던 1970년대 중반에, 미국에서 발행하는 Time Magazine에서 캐나다에서 어획한 대부분의 청어(Herring)는 일등급만 뽑아서, 전량 다 일본으로 수출하고 있다는 기사를 본 기억이 있다. 당시 일본은 미국 다음으로 GDP가 많았고, 또 이곳으로 이민오기전, 일본에 기술연수차 파견돼 갔을때, 보고 느낀것도, 일본인들은 열심히 일도 하지만, 검소하고 정직하고 공중 질서를 잘 지키는 나라로 기억됐었다. 그러한 일본인들의 준법정신이 지금도 계승돼고 있는지는 나는 현재 알길이 없다.

요즘은 상황이 바뀌어 Canada의 동부 Nova Scotia해안에서 대량으로 잡히는 Lobster의 상당량이 한국으로도 수출하고 있는데, 그것도 살아있는 그상태로 신속히 보내진다는 상황설명을 몇년전 한국 방문했을때 친지로 부터 Lobster요리를 대접 받을때 들었었고, 요즘은 그수요가 더 늘었다는 얘기도 들은바 있다.

Lobster수확 시즌이 되면 매년,  Lobster를 어획하기위한, 관련된 구룹들간에 치열한 경쟁과 기득권 싸움이 계속돼 왔었는데, 이번에는 그에 대한 처절한 싸움이 발생한 역사적 고찰을 자세히 뉴스에 보도되여, 어찌보면 캐나다영토의 원래 주인이었던 원주민들과 후에 정복자로 이땅을 차지한 사람들의 후손사이에 수입억 달러가치의 Lobster어장을 놓고 피터지는 싸움이 진행돼 왔음을 폭로한 기사였다.

Nova Scotia주의 남쪽지방, Yarmouth의 조그만 창고에서 인디안 어부 2명이 그들이 잡아온 Lobster를 저장해놓은 창고에, 성난 폭도들이 진입 난동을 피우는 통에 피할곳을 찾지못해 일종의 트랩에 갖혀있는 신세가 됐음을 발견하면서 한탄이다.

갇여있다시피한 인디언 어부 2명중 한명인 Jason Marr은 다른곳에 보관중이던 Lobster를  옮겼는데, 이유는 다른곳에 있는 Lobster보관소를 폭도들이 공격해 올것이라는 소식을 들었기 때문이었다.  처음에는 조용했었는데, 금새 200여명의 사내들에게 그는 포위 당해있는것을 알아채렸기 때문이었다.

"그들은 문을 새차게 두르리면서, 괴성을 지르고 'Lobster'를 내놔라"라고하면서 위협했다고 BBC에 상황설명 했다. 인디언 원주민어부들속에는 그들과 함께 일해온 4명의 인디언어부가 아닌 현지민들도 있었다.

폭도들은 전기를 끊고, 창문에 돌을 던지는것을 보고, 바로 경찰에 연락하고 기다리는 중에도 돌팔매질은 계속됐었다. Mr. Marr의 설명에 따르면 몇명은 자기차에 소변을 보기도 하고, 타이어를 칼로 갈기갈기 찢었다고 설명했다.

이행패가 있기 몇시간전에 New Edinburgh에서는 차에 방화를 하기도 했으며, Lobster창고에서 약탈을 해가는 사건도 있었다.

"그자들이 나를 죽일려고 하는것인지 아니면 어떤짖을 할지...그들은 우리에게 한밤중 자정까지 시간을 줄테니 그때까지 해결하든가 아니면 모두 불질러 버릴것이다"라고 명령을 했다고 Marr씨는 두려움속에서 설명했다. 

대치상태는 경찰이 도착하면서 빠져 나올수 있었다. 그러나 그는 폭도들이 Lobster 보관소를 습격하여 그가 잡아온 Lobster와 다른것들도 약탈해 갔다고 설명했다. 며칠이 지난  토요일 아침에 Lobster저장고가 완전히 불에 탔는데, 경찰은 방화로 보고 있다.

Mr Marr은 폭도들이 그의 Lobster를 다 훔쳐갔는데 옆에 있던 경찰은 이를 저지 않았다고 불평이다. 두번의 습격에서 경찰은 밖에서 대기만 하고 있었을뿐, 아무도 붙잡지 않았었다. 연방경찰(RCMP)은 일요일 New Edinburgh에서 가까운곳에 있는 Lobster저장소에서 한사내가 차에 불지르자 이를 붙잡아 구속했었다.


내무장관 Bill Blair는 이사건이 터진이후 말하기를 '더 많은 경찰을 현지에 보내 더이상의 난동이 없도록 하겠다'고 약속했다.


이번 사태는 최근에 일어난 Mi'kmaq원주민 어부들과 일반 상업용 어부들과의 사이에 벌어졌던 싸움으로 Sipekne'katik 원주민들이 Lobster 잡는 시기가 아닌 9월에 Lobster를 잡기 시작하면서 발생했던 것이다.


일반 상업용 어부들은 비시즌에는 잡지 못하도록 폐쇄해야 한다고 주장하는 반면에 원주민 어부들은 그들 고유의 권리라고 맞서고 있다.  이러한 문제가 발생하게된 역사는 자그만치 250년전으로 거슬러 올라간다. 당시 1752년에 Mi'kmaq 원주민들은 그들의 영토에서 사냥과 생선잡아 장사할수있는 권한을 약속받은, "평화와 친선조약"을 주장을 하고있다. 몇백년동안 이조약과 다른 사안들도 완전히 무시되여 왔으며 지켜지지 않았었다. 


그러나 1999년에 캐나다 대법원은 확실한 판결을 내려줬다. 즉 Mi'qmaq 과 Maliseet 원주민들은 사냥이나 어업을 그들 자신들이 때를 가리지 않고 할수 있는 권리가 있다고 판결했을뿐만 아니라, 먹고살기위해("moderate livelihood") 비수기에도 허용된다라고 판결한 것이다.


대법원은 안정된 삶(moderate livelihood)의 정의를 '먹거리나 살아갈수있는 거처같은, 꼭필요한것을 갖추고 살아야 하는상태'라고 했지만, 부자가 돼기위한 수단으로는 안된다라고 단서를 부친 것이다. 그러나 그러한 발표는 실질적으로 그범위를 확실히 정해놓지 않고, 맘데로 자기쪽에 유리하도록 해석할수있게 한셈이 되여 오늘날까지 그확실한 규정이 없는 상태이다.


수십년동안 Mi'kmaq원주민들은 캐나다 정부가 대법원의 판결을 집행하는데 실패했다고 불평이다.  이것 때문에 여러해 동안 양측이 협상을 했었지만, 결과는 없고, 위에서 언급한데로 자기네 편리한데로 해결책을 집행해 오고 있는 상황이다.


내가 알기로는 살아있는 랍스터(Live Lobster)는 여전히 동남아시아로 많이 수출되고 있는데, 이번 사태로 혹시라도 값에 영향이 미치지 않을까? 그래서 소비자들이 더부담을 해야 되는 상황이 되지 않을까?라는 괜한 걱정도 해본다. 


캐나다 연방 정부는 조속한 그리고 현명한 판결이 이루어지기를 기원해 볼 뿐이다.


지난 수십년동안 Lobster 산업채취 권한 싸움이, 마침내 수십억 달러 쟁탈전의 진원지인 Nova Scotia에서 권한을 주장하는 구룹들사이에 한판 싸움이 벌어졌다. 사진은 Lobster를 잡는 Trap이다

In a small warehouse on the southern tip of Nova Scotia, near Yarmouth, two indigenous fishermen found themselves trapped with nowhere to go when an angry mob raided the lobster pound where they had stored their catch.

Jason Marr, one of the indigenous fishermen stuck inside, said he had moved his lobster there that evening, because he heard there might be a raid at another location. All was quiet at first, but soon he says he was surrounded by about 200 men.

"They were pounding on the door, screaming obscenities, 'give us the lobster'!" he told the BBC.

There were also four non-indigenous men inside with them, who worked at the pound.

The crowd cut the power and threw a rock through the window, while he called police, he says. Mr Marr says he saw men urinate on his car and slash his tires.

A few hours earlier, a similar raid had been carried out at a lobster pound near New Edinburgh, where a car was burned.

"I didn't know if they wanted to kill me or whatnot... they said they were going to give us until midnight or they were going to burn us out," Mr Marr said.

The standoff ended when police forced him to leave, he says, and he watched as the men stormed the pound and took his catch, as well as others.

Days later, early Saturday morning, the lobster pound burned to the ground in what police are calling a "suspicious" fire.

Mr Marr accused police of standing by and letting the mob take his lobster.

In both raids, police gathered outside but made no arrests on site. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged one man on Sunday with burning a car at the lobster pound near New Edinburgh.

Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said more police officers would be sent to the area to "maintain the peace".

This mayhem is the latest in an escalating feud between Mi'kmaq fishermen and non-indigenous commercial fishermen that began when the Sipekne'katik First Nation launched its own fishery in September, during the off-season.

Non-indigenous commercial fishermen say the fishery should be shut down, while indigenous fishermen say it is their constitutional right.

The roots of this discord go back over 250 years to the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752, which promised Mi'kmaq the right to hunt and fish their lands and establish trade.

For centuries, the treaty and others like it were ignored.

But in 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a landmark ruling making it clear that the Mi'qmaq and Maliseet people had the right to not just sustain themselves by hunting and fishing, but to earn a "moderate livelihood", even in the off-season.

The court defined "moderate livelihood" as a living that provided for "necessities" like food and shelter, but not the "accumulation of wealth". What that means practically was never addressed in the regulations, leaving a grey area that has yet to be resolved to this day.

For decades, the Mi'kmaq say the government has failed to enforce that ruling. So after several years of failed negotiations, they are coming up with their own solution.

Operating outside of the province's commercial lobster fishery, the Sipekne'katik First Nation plans to make their lobster fishery a test case, issuing just 11 licences, with the hopes of collecting data towards making the operation sustainable in the years to come.

"It wasn't like we just came down and put traps in the water," Chief Michael Sack told the BBC.

But Mr Sack says that shortly after launching the fishery, they became subject to threats and sabotage, which culminated in the raids on two lobster pounds this week. Mr Sack was assaulted last week and a man has been arrested.

Derek Thomas, a commercial fisherman for over 25 years, condemns the violence. But he says the government needs to step in and enforce off-season rules for the sake of the lobster population.

"I don't think anybody likes the violence, and I don't think anybody denies their rights. But enough is enough already," he told the BBC.

"Regulations are designed to prevent over-harvesting and to maintain a sustainable fishery, it is all we want for our communities."

The government does have the right to regulate indigenous fishing in order to protect conservation efforts. But the Supreme Court ruling in the R v Marshall case made it clear that the government must prove the restrictions are necessary.

Map: Locations of the lobster pound and St Mary's Bay in Nova Scotia.

Mr Thomas says fishermen have "frustration boiling over" after years of deteriorating stocks. Between 2016-2018, lobster caches declined about 4% in the province, although there's no clear indication of why. The pandemic has also cut into lobster exports to the lucrative Chinese market.

This is not the first time indigenous fishermen have clashed with non-indigenous commercial fishers. Shortly after the R v Marshall decision, many indigenous fishermen took to the water in the off-season and fights broke out along wharfs in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Like now, the non-indigenous fishermen said they were concerned about the effect that off-season fishing would have on the lobster population.

Lobster traps that were seized by non-native fishers lie dumped outside the DFO officeIMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
image captionLobster traps that were seized by non-native fishers lie dumped outside the DFO office

In Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) only allows lobster fishing during distinct seasons, timed to coordinate with the lobster's molting schedules, which is when lobsters shed their shell and grow another one.

During the molting, their shells are soft, and they are easily hurt and killed.

But restricting lobster fishing during molting season is not the only way to protect the lobster population, says Robert Steneck, a professor of oceanography who researches lobster populations at the University of Maine's School of Marine Sciences.

"Frankly I don't think it really makes a difference," he says.

The scale of the fishery matters, Mr Steneck says, and the impact that a small fishery like the one organised by the Sipekne'katik First Nation would have limited effect on total populations.

In LFA 34, the regulatory name for the body of water near St Mary's Bay, where the indigenous lobster fishery is located, there are 979 lobster licences, and each licence is allowed to carry about 375-400 traps during the season. The Sipekne'katik fishery has issued 11 licences, with the right to carry 50 traps each.

"Really it would be trivial, in my view, by almost any standard," he says.

Getty
Canada's lobster industry

A snapshot from 2018

  • $C1.4bn(£800m) caught

  • 97,381metric tonnes

  • 8,907lobster licences

Source: Department of Fisheries and Oceans

In Maine, the lobster capital of the US, there are no seasons, and soft-shelled lobsters are often preferred by diners for their easy-to-crack outer shell and sweeter taste.

Hard-shell lobsters transport better, which means fishermen can sell more of them.

"You do have more mortality of soft-shell lobsters if you're going to use them for distribution - but if it's for domestic consumption it doesn't matter that much," Mr Steneck say.

Canada is the largest supplier of lobsters in the world, and Nova Scotia is responsible for harvesting about half of the country's C$1.4bn of lobster. ($1.05bn; £820m).

The non-indigenous fishing industry has been a vital part of the province's economy since it was settled by British and French colonialists in the 1600s.

But the Mi'kmaw have been fishing the region's waters for centuries before.

"We are so deeply connected to the land, the river, the water, the resources. It's not just how we survive; it becomes who we are," says Cheryl Maloney, an activist and political science professor at the University of Cape Breton who is the daughter of former chief Reginald Maloney. Before his death in 2014, her father fought for the community's fishing rights and witnessed the upheaval after R v Marshall.

Between 2000-2007, the government spent C$354m on commercial fishing licences, fishing vessels, gear, and training to give to 32 First Nations that had signed individual agreements with them.

But rather than implement their treaty rights, the agreements simply "cut off a little slice" of the commercial fishery, says indigenous law professor Naiomi Metallic, who teaches at Dalhousie University.

The government promised the agreements would not replace their treaty rights, but negotiations on how to fully implement the Marshall decision have stalled for years, she says.

Meanwhile, DFO continues to fine or arrest indigenous fishermen for fishing in the off-season.

Ms Metallic notes that First Nations in the region have been asking the government to implement their rights for years and Canada has been "dragging its feet".

"Prosecuting people and letting non-indigenous people cut traps and destroy boats - I don't think is a very effective way of addressing the situation," she says.

If there's one thing both sides can agree on, it's that DFO is failing at its job.

The commercial fishers believe DFO has the right to stop fishing in the off-season to protect the lobster stock. The Mi'kmaw believe the government needs to protect their rights and stop the commercial fishermen from sabotaging their traps.

DFO says it is currently in talks with Sipekne'katik First Nation to come to an agreement over the fishery.

"As discussions are ongoing, no further details can be offered at this time," a spokesperson for the DFO told the BBC in a statement.

Fishermen from the Sipekne"katik First Nation work from a wharf after opposition from non-Indigenous fishers in Saulnierville, Nova ScotiaIMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS

The department currently has negotiated three such agreements with other First Nations, the Elsipogtog and Esgenoôpetitj First Nations in New Brunswick and the Maliseet of Viger First Nation in Quebec. While these agreements give the nations a certain amount of autonomy, ultimately, DFO says that they are responsible for all fishery management in Canada.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged both sides to keep the peace, but acknowledged the government needed to help resolve the issue fairly.

"Twenty-one years is far too long to wait to see rights recognised," he said.

Meanwhile, the Sipekne'katik have inspired other First Nations to start their own fisheries.

Members of Potlotek First Nation launched their moderate-livelihood fishery on 1 October, which is known as Treaty Day.

And while the Sipekne'katik continue to fish for lobster, they still can't legally sell it, as the province bans people from purchasing lobster from a fisherman without a DFO licence.

"For this to resolve I think the federal government has to try and take this seriously," Ms Metallic says.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54472604

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