People in Cape Breton community were planning a rally to show support for Nova Scotia fishermen locked in a dispute over the annual crab quota. The fishermen have blocked the mouth of the harbour in Inverness, N.S., with their boats since Thursday May 15 to prevent New Brunswick fishing vessels from leaving the harbour.
The lobster fishermen have demanded the federal government to give them a piece of the lucrative crab quota. They said that the protest could offset a season of poor lobster catches, rising fuel costs and slumping prices. Fisherman Trevor MacInnis opined that they are trying to get a peaceful resolution to this sooner rather than later for the New Brunswick boats.
He also said that the fishermen will not allow fishing until they get a chance to talk to someone in a position of power. MacInnis said he’s expecting fishermen from neighbouring communities and their families to join the rally. The fishermen have decided to meet with officials from the federal Fisheries Department to discuss the quota. But a spokesman for the federal Fisheries Department said that quotas are set for this year and won’t change.
