New Brunswick fishermen fill St. Andrews Wharf Saturday as they call for change on the water

It’s not what you expect to see in St. Andrews, but mixed in amongst the whale watching boats and small vessels, dozens of lobster fishing boats docked along the wharf Saturday.

Local fishermen from Lobster Fishing Area 36, which covers waters from Alma to the American border, including Deer Island and Campobello Island, and their families filled both the water and the wharf as they called for change out on the water.

The protest is against what they believe is inaction by the government and a collective call for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Diane Lebouthillier, to resign.

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“We believe that she is not capable of protecting our fishery and protecting our resource,” said Fundy North Fishermen’s Association executive director, Amanda Johnson.

The group says there are three main issues leading to the protest:

•  an absence of enforcement, which they say has allowed illegal fishing and buying activities
•  fisheries Officer strikes, which the association says is because the Minster has made earlier statements that accused them of racism
•  mismanagement of the fishery

“We open the second Tuesday in November and I personally feel if there is no enforcement at that time for opening that it’s going to be unsafe for every single commercial fishermen that’s here that I represent,” said Johnson.

“Ultimately what I think would happen is they’ll start hauling up the illegal gear that they’re finding. A lot of the ones that are fishing illegal locally, these guys know each other, they fish out of the same wharf so it’s going to lead to confrontation.”

Over 50 fishing boats were docked by Saturday morning with representation from every single wharf in the district, according to Johnson.

Boats are seen near the wharf in Saint Andrews, N.B. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)

“These people didn’t come miles and miles just to burn fuel for fun,” said Fundy North Fishermen’s Association president, Bradley Small.

“They see this as an attack on their livelihood. Many of them multi-generation, so it’s very important. We’re hoping if we can just start the ball rolling, maybe we’ll be seen and maybe we’ll get some action from the minister because that’s where it all comes from.”

The association says they are demanding three things out of the protest from Minster Lebouthillier:

•  an acknowledgement of mismanagement
•  a solution and enforcement plan
•  a resignation from office

“It’s happening primarily in the western part of the district, but it happens all over and with no patrol, that amplifies it,” said Small.

Cecil Mccabour is a fourth generation North American fishermen, but an eighth generation of working on the water.

“It is the wild west right now,” he said about the conditions out of the water.

“The landscape down here you can get away with so much more because you can hide behind islands, there’s so many more buoys and different other fisheries, you can blend it all together. There’s even be told of just driftwood being tied off to traps, decoy ducks tied off the traps, so unless you’re right on top of it, sometimes you don’t know,” he said.

“The poachers are getting it down to a science now and without having DFO cruise around, that would catch the maybe even 40 per cent of it, now we're not having that taken care of.”

His families business, Whitetail Fisheries, is based out of Lorneville N.B., and while he says they aren’t seeing illegal fishing as much in his area, it’s still having an impact.

“I’m already seeing how we’re in a downwind spiral. We need to get our government back on track. Fishing is a huge thing along the coast here and it’s world renowned seafood. We’re known for our lobsters. North shore is known for lobster, but our Bay of Fundy lobsters are the cream of the crop, so we need to protect them,” he said.

Those in attendance say the illegal fishing is happening both from across the border and locally.

Fishermen gather at the protest in St. Andrews. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)

In a statement to CTV News, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said it’s aware of the demonstration happening in St. Andrews.

DFO went on to say that “enforcement activities continue and we are working to address any reports of unauthorized fishing activity across the region, including the Bay of Fundy.”

The boats are expected to stay anchored at St. Andrews until Sunday morning.

“The fishery minister can say all she wants to about enforcement, we’re on the water every day, there’s no enforcement. There’s a far amount, a lot of illegal fishing because of no enforcement. It would be like taking all the RCMP officers off the road,” said Dale Mitchell with JDM Fisheries on Deer Island.

Mitchell is 68-years old now and has been fishing ever since he was old enough to band a lobster with his grandfather.

He says in the last seven years, since there’s been an illegal summer fishery, his catches have dropped by about 30 per cent.

“We have worked hard to get this regulated, but regulations, I’ll say once again, this is the thing I want to leave you with, regulations are no good without enforcement,” he said.

“People are getting very frustrated. There’s a lot of young people here, fishermen and they’re getting, and I’m not young, but I’m still frustrated… because we’re the one’s that are suffering for this if it’s not enforced.”

The demonstration remained peaceful Saturday morning as multiple generations came together to support each other and make a statement that they hope will start a conversation.

“It kind of effects everybody here and it’s going to kill off our jobs if it continues,” said Spiro Mawhinney, a seventh generation fishermen.

“I started fishing with my dad as soon as I got out of high school in 2020 and I’ve put a lot of time and invested a lot of money to be where I am today fishing. I went to school to get my captains papers that I now have and I kind of just hope that the outcome today let’s me or I’m able to fish for a long time and be able to retire with this job and hopefully my grandchildren or children can fish if that’s what they decide they want to do.”

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