"We are not going to knuckle under. It has come down to our survival," said Fred Moore, a member of the tribal council, a former representative in the Maine Legislature and a commercial fisherman. At issue is the tribe's contention that it is exempt from U.S. fishing regulations. The Passamaquoddy Tribe has been in discussions with the National Marine Fisheries Service over its rights to fish in federal waters. Moore said the tribe has been forced to fish in federal waters out of economic necessity and is trying to cooperate with the fisheries service in observing U.S. fishing regulations.
Patricia Kurkul, northeast regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service, then issued a warning to the tribe that its members face charges and seizure of any catch taken from federal waters.
She said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the fisheries service's parent agency, is exploring the Passamaquoddies' assertion that they are exempt from U.S. fishing laws, but that doesn't mean the federal government recognizes those claims at the moment.
"They are not familiar with our indigenous rights," said Kani Malsom of Pleasant Point, an owner of the Paulo Marc. He declined to identify the captain who was stopped by the Coast Guard.
Citing a 60 percent unemployment rate, tribal members say they need to fish to survive, physically and economically. Moore, who is making another run for the Legislature, said no treaty exists between his tribe and the state or federal government that limits where the Passamaquoddies may fish.
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