Nova Scotia’s fisheries minister denounces Ottawa’s lack of urgency to tackle illegal lobster fishing. Kent Smith says he is “frustrated and disappointed” with a meeting he had on this subject Thursday with his federal counterpart, Diane Lebouthillier.
The Nova Scotian elected official says he came away completely empty-handed from this tête-à-tête in Ottawa.
I did not get a commitment to add resources to fight illegal lobster fishing in southwest Nova Scotia, which I have been asking for for months and months
lamented Kent Smith during a telephone interview with CBC from the Ottawa airport.
Meeting requested for several months
The provincial Minister of Fisheries has written several times to his federal counterpart to ask him to meet with the aim of strengthening enforcement of the law around the Saulnierville wharf, on Sainte-Marie Bay.
Kent Smith establishes a link between the illegal lobster fishing observed there and organized crime. Residents of the Acadian region suspect that arson and a shooting reported in the neighboring community of Meteghan would be linked to the lobster industry.
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Kent Smith, Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries.
Photo : CBC / Robert Short
The office of Minister Diane Lebouthillier issued a press release Thursday following the meeting with her Nova Scotian counterpart. This document indicates that the two ministers share the same concerns regarding illegal activities and violence in the fishing sector.
In this statement, the federal minister maintains that she has allocatedsignificant resources
to enforce the Fisheries Act. She also reiterates her commitment to working with Nova Scotia, Indigenous communities and the fishing industry as a whole to ensure sustainable lobster fishing
.
Fisheries officers took enforcement actions, ranging from awareness raising to compliance, arrests and seizure of unauthorized catches, equipment and vessels.
On Wednesday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada officers seized approximately 5,900 kilograms of lobster in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia. They also arrested an individual who could be charged under the Fisheries Act.
The value of the seizure could exceed $100,000, according to the ministry.
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Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Diane Lebouthillier.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Patrick Butler
However, Kent Smith as well as other Nova Scotian elected officials and commercial fishermen believe that Ottawa lacks control.
Commercial fishermen in southwest Nova Scotia allege American fishermen are coming to fish in Canadian waters because of weak enforcement. They also allege that some indigenous fishermen do not respect the rules.
The Mi’kmaq defend themselves
Mi’kmaq leaders in the province vigorously dispute these allegations.
We will not accept this version of the facts
says Michelle Glasgow, the chief of the Sipekne’katik First Nation, in an email addressed to The Canadian Press.
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Fishing boats from the Sipekne’katik First Nation on September 20, 2020 in Saulnierville, southwest Nova Scotia.
Photo: The Canadian Press / Mark O’Neill
In another email, Chief Wilbert Marshall, co-lead of fisheries for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, maintains that fishing-related conflicts have existed for more than 20 years. He calls for changes. We want a future where these security issues can be avoided, but we need true collaboration to get there.
The commercial lobster fishing season in southwest Nova Scotia, recognized as one of the most lucrative in the country, normally begins in late November.
With information from Michael Gorman, from CBC, and from La Canadian Press
