In The Same Boat?

Canadian fisheries are in crisis; they have been for more than a decade.

Martha Stiegman- Sherry Pictou / Canada / 2007 / 40 min

Canadian fisheries are in crisis; they have been for more than a decade. Stocks have all but collapsed, and thousands of small-scale fishers have been bought out by a handful of big corporations. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) echo the neo-liberal agenda we now see across Canada: privatize public resources and cut government services.

In southwest Nova Scotia a rare case exists where Native and non-Native fisheries have begun working together. Fish Tales, a documentary in progress, follows the struggles of these two very different fishing communities in Bear River and Digby, both fighting to defend their ways of life.

In the Same Boat? tells the story of two neighboring fishing communities – one Mi’kmaq, the other non-native - both struggling to defend their ways of life. Shot on Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy coast, the two-part documentary explores the grounds for solidarity between indigenous and non-native communities, while showing the very different role fishing plays in both cultures.

Part One, In Defense of our Treaties, follows the struggle of Bear River First Nation as they stand up to pressure from the Department of Fisheries (DFO) to sell their treaty rights for a ticket into the commercial fisheries. For the Mi’kmaq, fishing is a right that comes from the Creator, and is protected by the Treaties. In 1999, the Supreme Court recognized those rights, and DFO has since signed agreements with 32 of the 34 First Nations in the region. The deals offer money to buy into the commercial fisheries, as long as the Mi’kmaq fish under DFO’s jurisdiction. That's not good enough for Bear River, one of two communities refusing to sign.

Part Two, The End of the Line, is a portrait of Terry Farnsworth, the last handliner on the Bay of Fundy. Handlining is the most ecological fishing technology around. It was the foundation of the rural economy in this part of the country - for Terry, it’s a vocation. These days, most fishing licenses have been bought-up by big companies. As fish stocks plummet, will Terry be forced off the water?

Credits

Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Martha Stiegman
Co-Producers: Martha Stiegman & Sherry Pictou, Bear River First Nation
Editing Consultants: Frédéric Moffet, Liz Miller, Gwynne Basen
Audio mix & Color Correction: Anthu Vu
Addition Sound Editing: Andrea-Jane Cornell
Story Consultants: For In Defense of our Treaties: Wanda Joudry-Finigan, Bubby Harlow, Robie McEwan, Chief Frank Meuse Jr., Dusty Meuse, Sherry Pictou.
For The End of the Line: Arthur Bull, John Kearney, Terry Farnsworth
Title Design: Mél Hogan
Music: For In Defense of our Treaties: “The Twilight in Your Eyes” used with permission of Aaron White and Burning Sky
“Kwanute, The Mi'kmaq Feast Song" performed by Wanda Joudry- Finigan
For The End of the Line: Music recorded live and performed by Terry Farnsworth and friends
Archival materials used with permission of: Christian Peacemaker Team in Canada & Esgenoôpetitj / Burnt Church community members
Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Nations News
Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management
Nova Scotia Museum
The Toronto Star
World Forum of Fisher Peoples
Additional footage from One More Dead Fish: Used with the permission of Stefan Forbes & InterPositive Media
Produced in collaboration with: Bear River First Nation
Vidéographe Production, Montréal
Bay of Fundy Marine Resource Centre
Ecology Action Center
Concordia University’s Communications
Department and the School of Community &
Public Affairs