Meet the Listuguj Rangers, protecting Mi'kmaw fishing rights on the Restigouche
Conservation program has become a model for Indigenous-led fisheries management
As the Wednesday morning sun rises over the Restigouche River, the wharf at Listuguj First Nation is lined with fishing boats heading out one-by-one into choppy waters.
Deven Condo-Mitchell grabs his walkie talkie, puts on a life jacket and climbs aboard a patrol boat. He's part of a team of rangers, ensuring the Mi'kmaw community's fishing law and conservation plan are respected.
"I love to work outdoors, I love the water, I love the mountains," he said. "We're people of the land, we live off the water, we live off the country, we hunt, we fish and we've been doing this for centuries."
The Listuguj Rangers speed across the river dividing Quebec and New Brunswick, watching fishermen as they work to pull their traps out of the water before the 8 a.m. deadline. The catch is better than average today, with many large salmon entangled in the nets.
Condo-Mitchell said there are telltale signs of a good fishing day, which have been passed down from generation to generation.
"You can almost smell the fish out of the water. When the birds are coming around, floating on top of the water, you know the fish are around," he said.
"Salmon's the way of life around here. It's our food, it's a necessity, people feed their families."
Long fight to protect fishery
The Listuguj Rangers emerged out of the community's long-fight to protect its ancestral fishing rights. The program is now expanding and is being looked to as a model of Indigenous-led fisheries management.
Their start is tied to a violent conflict that remains vivid for many in the community today.
On June 11, 1981, 500 Quebec provincial police officers stormed Listuguj to try and bring the salmon fishery to a stop. Equipment was destroyed and fishermen were arrested and injured. Nine days later, police officers returned, but this time they were blocked from entering the community and left.
In the early 1990s, Listuguj developed its own fishing law and management plan. The Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation Law on Fisheries and Fishing also established the Listuguj Rangers.
Don Leo Arsenault, the program's chief ranger, said the impact of the salmon raids continues to be felt by fishermen.
"The stigma will never leave," he said.
'Model' for conservation
In 2021, 40 years after the raids, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans reached an agreement with Listuguj officially recognizing the role of the rangers and upholding the treaty right for moderate livelihood fisheries.
Arsenault, who joined the rangers in 1998, said the agreement is a big step.
"For the fishermen from the reserve that are out there, they know that they're going to be treated fairly and equally and with respect. Even to this day, from back in 1981 with the raids, people feel when they go and fish, they're going to be given a bad hand," he said.
From June through October, about 28 Rangers head out on boats, trucks and a canoe to patrol the area. The program recently expanded to include hunting conservation in the woods and members are now going through coursework to become fully qualified conservation officers.
Last fall, the rangers also played a new role — overseeing a moderate-livelihood lobster fishery. At the wharf in Carleton-sur-Mer on Quebec's south shore, they counted and tracked lobsters, traps and boats.
Arsenault said the rangers prioritize safety and conservation in their work, trying to build a good rapport with the fishermen. When someone is found in violation of the rules, their net is seized but they can return to collect it at a later date.
Salmon fishermen are limited to casting their nets five nights a week, from June to late July. Certain parts of the river are off-limits and considered special protection zones.
The first catch of the season is given to elders.
Looking out at the river, Condo-Mitchell said Listuguj's conservation measures are working.
"As First Nations people we don't take in an abundance, we don't take more than we need. Just to feed the people. So a lot of the fishermen out here today, they fish for people that can't fish," he said.
Condo-Mitchell said now that the rangers are going through formal training courses, other First Nations will have a model to turn to.
"As soon as we have the blueprint, we can outsource and give that plan to other communities so they can start to develop their own fisheries and look after their own land."
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