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An internet petition has started asking that commercial fishing be banned on Lake Nipissing. It follows on the heels of a Nipissing First Nation petition submitted to the band council this month, but signed by band members only.

 

The internet petition was started by  Robert Dufresne and Matty Desroches. Desroches was previously involved in a pickerel restocking program.

 

At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday the petition had 622 signatures.

 

It reads:

 

"We, the undersigned, sign this petition, not as an attack against the fishermen who have adopted sustainable ways of fishing, but this petition is to carry out an obligation by the people of Nipissing for the protection of treaty rights granted to all of the Nipissings as a collective group, not individuals. This is the way the Treaty was signed, as a collective. We feel the fishing rights belong to us, not a few. We are speaking up for those who have no voice: the children, the next seven generations, the fish, and they deserve our respect as equal parts of society.    We, the community are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to stop commercial fishing in Lake Nipissing, so that we can keep our inherent rights to fish sustainably for future generations. Feel free to contact Robert Dufresne and or Matty Desroches for further information on this matter."

 

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