N.S. Supports DFO Snow Crab Decision

Today's federal announcement to keep open an exploratory snow crab fishing area supports Nova Scotia's efforts to pursue new fishing opportunities in the province, said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell.

"Fishermen from northern Cape Breton were successful in finding snow crab, so this decision means they will be able to build on their success this year," the minister said.

If the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans had denied the permits, the fishermen would have lost an important source of income and the snow crabs in the area would have been left to die.

The area is exploratory Zone F off of Cape Breton. Fishermen from Cheticamp and the Bay St. Lawrence area have been fishing there since 1995. Prior to that time, no snow crabs were fished in that zone.

The fishermen of the traditional snow crab industry, based in northern New Brunswick, had asked federal Fisheries Minister David Anderson to close the area because they claimed it belonged to them.

"I was strongly against these lucrative New Brunswick fishermen trying to evict Cape Breton fishermen from an area that no one fished in the past," said Mr. Colwell. "These fishermen have a management deal with DFO that looks after their interests, but freezing out our Zone F fishermen is going to far."

Mr. Colwell said he congratulates Mr. Anderson for a good decision that is fair to Nova Scotia and fosters much needed economic activity in coastal areas of Cape Breton.