Fisheries Claim of Right: Community Linkages

From Ray Johnson and da byes over at Community Linkages...

Notice of Intent and Statement of Claim

TO: Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada

I, ____________________ a Newfoundlander and Labradorian, do hereby state the
following:
WHEREAS, Canada has failed and abandoned their obligations under the Terms of
Union to effectively and responsibly manage and sustain our fisheries;
WHEREAS, the recreational fishery and the restrictions on my right to fish, is a
violation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act because it does not uphold the rights of
citizens in Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in their culture and heritage;
WHEREAS, families and individuals have relied on the fishery for generations as a food
supply and major source of employment in Newfoundland and Labrador;
WHEREAS, fishing is a basic established right, a fundamental element to our society
and the well-being of our province, our rural communities and the future of our children;
WHEREAS, my culture and heritage depends on the fishery;
THEREFORE, let it be known that I have the right to be a steward of the fishery, and to
be included in any discussions around restructuring of the fishing industry, quotas, and
interests off Newfoundland and Labrador’s shores;
THEREFORE, I declare that under the principles of Magna Carta, I am entitled from my
descendants, a community of settlers, to declare fishing rights up to the 12-mile limit and
the first three miles from the high water mark be reserved for local use and the purposes
of our heritage, culture and the well being of our economy;
THEREFORE, let it be known that I have a public right to fish from the first three miles of
water for my personal consumption and the consumption of my family;
THEREFORE, let it be known that I claim hook and line as a sustainable fishing method;
THEREFORE, let it be known that no decisions, changes, or influences should be
carried out on the fish resources or the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador,
without my consent or the consent of all Citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador;
THEREFORE, I request the Government of Canada, its Parliament and the Province of
Newfoundland and Labrador recognize my claim and the importance the fishery has on
the historic, cultural, and socioeconomic significance to Newfoundland and Labrador.

I have mine ready sent already.