Ottawa, Ontario - Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, met with the Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Honourable Kent Smith, to discuss mutual interests in protecting the local economies of coastal communities, and ensuring our fisheries are sustainable for years to come.
During their meeting, the two ministers shared concerns about illegal activity, safety concerns and violence in the Southwest Nova Scotia lobster fishery. Minister Lebouthillier underscored the Government of Canada's commitment to working with the province of Nova Scotia, industry, Indigenous communities, and all stakeholders to provide for a sustainable lobster fishery for Nova Scotians. As a reflection of this commitment, the Department has allocated significant enforcement resources to monitoring compliance with the Fisheries Act and associated regulations in the lobster fishery. Fishery officers have been taking enforcement measures ranging from compliance awareness to making arrests and seizing unauthorized catch, equipment and vessels.
The two ministers also discussed how unreported cash sales in our fisheries need to be eliminated because it has contributed to an environment where criminal activity is taking place. Though the regulation of cash sales is a provincial matter, Minister Lebouthillier reiterated that the federal government stands ready to support the government of Nova Scotia in any efforts to end cash sales, noting our longtime collaborative efforts on many fisheries issues.
Minister Lebouthillier concluded the meeting by making it clear that fishery officers will continue to conduct enforcement activities on land and on the water to deter and prevent the unauthorized harvest and sale of lobster without a commercial licence. The Government of Canada and fishery officers will continue to ensure an orderly and sustainable fishery for all authorized harvesters, the communities who rely on them, and for the protection of the resource.
