The Council of the Haida Gwaii (CHG) in B.C. says an outside fishing lodge that has been operating for 30 years must go.
“QCL (Queen Charlotte Lodge) has shown disregard for marine etiquette and safety in repeatedly charging around in the vicinity of smaller boats at high speeds,” said a statement from CHG.
“If Queen Charlotte Lodge had ever been welcomed, it has lost its welcome on Haida Gwaii.”
Tensions continue to rise on Haida Gwaii over a luxury fishing lodge that has reopened since the novel coronavirus was declared a pandemic on Mar. 11.
On the water there have been verbal confrontations between Haida Gwaii fishers and the tourist boat operators.
An edited video posted on Daughters of the Rivers Facebook page shows five lodge boats swiftly passing Haida boats on the water which leads to the exchange on July 17.
The Haida Nation are opposed to tourism operators opening during its state of emergency due to COVID-19 which doesn’t allow non residents to the island.
B.C. is currently in phase three of reopening which allows for non essential travel within the province.
“It’s our inherent right to occupy our ancestral lands, we have been there since time immemorial,” says Adeana Young, spokesperson for Gaandlee Guu Jaalang or Daughters of the Rivers.
“We have been out there far more than 30 years, longer than those lodges have been.”
APTN News reached out to Queen Charlotte Lodge for an interview but did not receive a response.
