The right to fish 'does not exist,' Ottawa argues, but B.C. court rules class action lawsuit over geoduck clams can go ahead
A class action suit against the federal government can go ahead, despite Ottawa's claims that the right to fish "does not exist," a B.C. judge has ruled.
In a judgment issued last week and recently posted online, Justice Simon R. Coval was asked whether a lawsuit involving the harvesting of a bizarre-looking mollusk could go ahead, a suit the government claims is "bound to fail."
The issue involves 15 areas off the southern end of Haida Gwaii. Until 2019, these areas were used for commercial fishery of geoduck clams, but, in an attempt to protect a sensitive ecosystem, the government has since expropriated the area.
Those spots are now strictly protected.
Those behind the claim – James Austin, Darrell Thomas and two companies called Hideaway II Ventures Ltd. and Front Line Diving Ltd. – say they aren't challenging the government's right to protect such areas, but they're seeking compensation for future income loss if they can no longer harvest geoducks from those spots.
On their side, the class action lawsuit is an attempt to get back some of the money they say they would have earned through fishing the property.
On the federal government's side, the legal battle is a fight over a made-up right.
In his summary, Coval wrote that Ottawa argues "the claim seeks compensation for loss of an alleged right – the right to fish – that does not exist, and is a variation on a theme that has repeatedly failed in our courts."
The plaintiffs disagree, saying their fight falls under well-established common law principles.
It was not up to the B.C. judge to determine any compensation, but to look at whether the suit had enough merit to actually go to court.
Further details of what the judge looked at before making his decision can be read in his judgment, but ultimately Justice Coval decided the plaintiffs made enough of a case that they met the certification test.
This test for class action lawsuits includes the criteria that the claim raises common issues, and that the proceeding would be the preferable procedure to come to a fair and efficient resolution.
Geoducks (pronounced gooey-ducks) are a large species of clam that, when matured, resembles an elephant trunk sticking out of a large clamshell, Coval described.
Harvesting the species is complicated, and for reasons of conservation, commercial fishing is limited to 55 vessel-based licences and 550 quota blocks issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Participation in the program is expensive, Coval wrote. He said most licence holders have at least 10 quota blocks, and that the blocks cost $800,000 each, in addition to the $250,000 licence.
Equipment required for fishing and diving can cost as much as $1 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.