A Nova Scotia First Nation still must pay thousands in legal fees to a commercial fishing group, despite trying to appeal a court ruling from the fall.
According to the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFCA), the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal made the decision last week for Spikene’katik to still pay them $15,000.00 with an additional $6,000.00 tacked on for more legal fees.
In a statement, President Colin Sproul said they are pleased.
“The UFCA has spent a significant amount of money to fight for the legal rights of commercial license holders and their families and today is another victory,” said Sproul.
It was in October 2025 when Sipekne’katik First Nation was first ordered to pay UFCA, stemming from a lawsuit the band launched in 2021 against DFO and the attorney general when its traps were seized in St. Mary’s Bay.
In the lawsuit, they argued that the fisheries act did not apply to their right to a moderate livelihood and that they were operating a self-regulated treaty lobster fishery in the bay for years.
But they dropped the case in 2025.
The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFCA) was an intervener in the case, and they applied to get legal fees covered afterwards.
At the time, Sproul called the ruling a major victory.
“Justice Keith recognized our organization as an active and known entity representing the commercial lobster industry,” said Sproul. “He also affirmed that UFCA has a direct and meaningful interest in questions around First Nation rights and equitable sharing of the fishery resource.”
He added, considering they were an intervenor, being awarded court costs is “exceptional circumstances” and directly related to the “poor conduct” by Sipekne’katik cancelling the night before two separate discoveries.
The court ruled in the alliance’s favour, agreeing that the First Nation had acted with poor conduct.
Sproul said the decision by the Court of Appeal, reinforces the legal interest of the UFCA when it comes to questions regarding treaty rights or any other challenge to the Fisheries Act.
–with files from Caitlin Snow
