Native fishermen fought back overnight in their longstanding dispute with Ottawa over lobster fishing rights in the Miramichi, replacing traps removed by fisheries officials Thursday.

The fishermen began replacing traps after dark Thursday night, putting at least 14 in the water. They plan to set more traps Friday and say they will guard them closely.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans official Bob Allain couldn't confirm the new traps have been set, but said new buoys have been spotted.

He said it's not clear whether the flags are for lobster or for the commercial rock crab fishery in the area under way right now.

Allain said the traps will be checked sometime later today.

Fisheries officials said they seized the 86 traps Thursday because they were outside approved fishing boundaries.

Mi'kmaq fishermen reject Ottawa's regulations, saying that treaty rights allow them to manage the fishery as they see fit.

The federal government licensed the band to fish in a limited area until Oct. 20.

The band says that area doesn't contain adequate supplies of lobster.

"I'm going to follow the lobster," said native fisherman Jason Ward. "I have to. I've got to make a moderate livelihood somehow and in this little area here you can't."