Two arrested during tense protest at wharf where contentious N.S. fishery underway
RCMP arrested and later released two men for alleged assaults on Saturday after police responded to what they described as "an assembly" at a fishing wharf in southwestern Nova Scotia.
The Mounties say eight officers from six detachments attended a protest by a group of people gathered at the Saulnierville Wharf road.
RCMP spokesman Const. Guillaume Tremblay said police couldn't provide further details on the reason for the gathering of about 30 people, or whether there were conflicts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers during the afternoon protest.
The wharf on St. Mary's Bay was the scene of confrontation between Indigenous fishers and commercial fishers in September 2020 when the Sipekne'katik First Nation launched a self-regulated lobster fishery.
Investigators say while the officers were at Saturday's gathering they saw a 34-year-old Digby County man assaulting another man, after being pushed.
Police say a few minutes later another man grabbed another person by the neck, and a 29-year-old from Hants County was also arrested.
The two men who were allegedly assaulted were uninjured and investigators said they requested that charges not proceed. The RCMP release says the 34-year-old and 39-year-old men were later released and apologized to the victims.
Tremblay said Mounties will remain in the community to "promote public safety."
Tensions have been mounting this summer in southern Nova Scotia over unauthorized lobster fishing, and the province's fisheries minister has said he intends to increase the maximum fine to $1 million for commercial buyers who are caught selling out-of-season lobster.
As of last week, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans said it had seized 464 traps for non-compliance with the Fisheries Act in two fishing areas in southwestern Nova Scotia known as LFAs 33 and 34.
The department also said it arrested two people from Saulnierville, N.S., in Moncton, N.B., last Wednesday and seized more than 8,000 lobsters caught in southwestern Nova Scotia, which were returned to the ocean.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2023.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.