‘People have almost died’: Soaring N.S. lobster fishing tensions revealed

Communication released to Global News under the Freedom of Information Act provides a rare glimpse into how far the situation deteriorated for fishery officers in Nova Scotia.

Tensions between fishery officers in Nova Scotia and their federal employer got so bad that officers warned that, without proper protection, increased lawlessness in the region’s fishing industries “is gonna get someone killed,” new documents reveal.

The situation reached a breaking point in July last year, when 35 of the 125 fishery officers in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Maritimes Region filed a work refusal, saying they wouldn’t do field work until they received adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect them from the increasing danger.

Communication released to Global News under the Freedom of Information Act provides a rare glimpse into how far the situation deteriorated for officers, saying they were being shot at, subjected to acts of violence at home and work, encountering fishers with long guns (rifles), and were being asked by individuals if they were “willing to die for their jobs.”

Organized crime rings linked to unauthorized lobster fishing have terrorized Acadian fishing communities in southwest Nova Scotia in recent years, RCMP say, with shootings, arsons and online threats related to the province’s most valuable seafood export.

Rampant poaching and violence have also plagued the lucrative baby eel fishery, forcing the DFO to shut it down last year and cut it short in 2023. The eels — also known as elvers — are fished in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine and shipped live to Asia, where they are grown to maturity and can fetch up to $5,000 per kilogram.

What has since ensued is a long standoff predominantly fought among bureaucracies behind closed doors, with enforcement caught in the middle.

During one tense exchange, staff accused DFO of ignoring evidence of death threats against officers and were told “people have almost died” due to inaction.

In the months since, industry insiders say the situation on Nova Scotia waters has not improved.