Foreign investors are illegally buying up Nova Scotia’s lobster fishery according to a release from the Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters’ Federation.
The federation, which represents fishermen who own and operate their own boats, said foreign interests could soon control Canada’s inshore fisheries.
This is against Atlantic Canadian policy, as the only person who can own an inshore lobster fishing license is a Canadian inshore fisherman; “someone who lives in a fishing community and goes to work on a fishing boat which he or she owns and operates”, federation president Christian Brun said.
The government is moving too slowly to deal with this problem. We need urgent action…domestic and international investors are breaking the law and advertising it in newspapers.
Canada’s fisheries have gone through a decade of unprecedented growth. Last year seafood exports in Nova Scotia surpassed CAD 1.4 billion, making seafood the province’s largest export sector.
In Newfoundland and Labrador seafood export were also valued at over CAD 1.2 bn, up 15% from the same period in 2014.
Our fisheries resources are strategic national assets no different than oil and gas, potash or minerals or Vancouver real estate. They need to be protected for the benefit of Canadians especially those that depend on fishing for their livelihoods, Brun said.