HALIFAX — A commercial lobster fishing group in Nova Scotia has gone to court seeking $10 million in damages against those it alleges are buying lobster caught illegally in St. Mary’s Bay.
The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance filed notice in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Tuesday against Independent Fisheries Limited of Little Harbour, N.S., and its president Xiaoming Mao.
The alliance is also suing the owners and operators of Fisher Direct Ltd. and Seawell Holdings Ltd., both based in Shag Harbour, N.S.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and the defendants either declined to comment or were not immediately available to respond today.
Commercial fishers allege the defendants are engaged in a "conspiracy” to violate the Fisheries Act and have damaged the lobster stock in St. Mary’s Bay, in southwestern Nova Scotia.
They say they've gathered evidence of illegal sales of lobster from the wharf in Saulnierville, N.S., and that their livelihoods have been harmed by the defendants' actions.
The alliance says it is going to court because of the lack of action by the federal Fisheries Department and the provincial Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press
