Organized crime linked to illegal lobster fishing 'terrorizing the community,' N.S. minister claims

Nova Scotia's fisheries minister says the federal failure to stop what he calls illegal out-of-season fishing in some of the most lucrative lobster grounds in the country has fuelled organized crime that is "terrorizing the community" along a stretch of the province's southwest.

Kent Smith made the comments in a letter last week to his federal counterpart, Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier, in which he claims the illegal fishery has "entrenched itself" in the region of Clare and surrounding areas.

Smith said in an interview his letter does not refer to the Sipekne'katik First Nation fishery, which is now the subject of a lawsuit and is currently being conducted outside of federal regulations in St. Marys Bay, which runs adjacent to the coastal communities of Clare. 

"This is not related to Indigenous harvesting," Smith said. "This is illegal lobster fishing that is causing havoc on the ground down there, causing havoc in the community and causing a lot of fear and anxiety in Clare and Meteghan."

He said in his letter he's spoken to fishermen that have been threatened, have had their property damaged and "live in constant fear of repercussions for speaking out," although he didn't describe any specific incidents. 

In recent months, RCMP in the Meteghan area have publicly reported a string of violent crimes, including the burning of a police vehicle, two arsons and a shooting, that prompted the Mounties to double the number of officers deployed to the area.

There's been community speculation that those crimes are linked to the lobster industry, but Cpl. Vincent Lacroix said Monday officers don't believe that to be the case, although some of those targeted have in the past been involved in the fisheries.

He said it's clear they are acts of intimidation, but those offences don't appear to be related to the fishery, money or drugs. It's unclear if it's one group of criminals or multiple, he said.

"We don't have anything that indicates that it's a drug war, people owing money to a specific individual regarding drugs," Lacroix said in an interview.

DFO has been criticized by fishing groups for what they call a lack of enforcement related to harvesting outside the commercial season in the area, which runs from the end of November to the end of May.

The department confirmed last week that some fisheries officers are refusing to work over safety concerns, although it would not indicate how many. Smith said there is currently "zero enforcement on the water whatsoever."

A DFO spokesperson said in an email Tuesday that the department allocates "significant enforcement resources" to monitor the lobster fishery. It said fisheries officers did aerial and at-sea patrols in southwest Nova Scotia over the weekend.

"The department will continue to deploy enforcement resources strategically to deter and disrupt unauthorized harvest and sale of lobster," Lauren Sankey said.

She noted many First Nations people are currently fishing under food, social and ceremonial licences, which allow them to catch lobster outside the commercial season but forbids it from being "sold, bartered or traded."

Enforcement on the water is DFO's responsibility, but the province does license buyers and processors. Smith said his department has sent letters in recent months reminding operators that all lobster in their pounds must be legally harvested, although he maintains it's up to DFO to stop it from being caught in the first place.

He said he's not just concerned about violence, but about unreported income through cash transactions and that out-of-season fishing risks "destroying" lobster stocks. Canada's reputation internationally is also at stake, he said, particularly if undersized lobster or females bearing eggs are being caught and sold.