Tag Archives: Nova Scotia

A Life Remembered: Captain John Allen Baker,1955 2025

It is with broken hearts that we share the passing of our precious brother, Captain John Allen Baker, age 69 who lost his life at sea February 7, 2025. John was born December 9, 1955, in Canso, Nova Scotia to Calvin Howard Baker and Virginia Margaret O’Hearn. Having no biological children, we wish to acknowledge his commitment to his stepchildren, step-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He loved them all, would wrap them in a wonderful hug and generously shared all his resources (including free fish) with them. John’s career and entire life was devoted to the Commercial Offshore Fishery.  There is so much more about John that most will never know. He shared his talents, knowledge and passion with anyone who was interested and mentored many fishermen during his life. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:05

Halifax fisherman remembered after boat capsized

A Halifax fisherman is being remembered as one of the good ones. Phil Macinnis was one of the two men who died after the Fortune Pride capsized Friday off Sambro. In a show of support, a GoFundMe campaign has raised thousands of dollars to help his family. On the fundraiser’s page, organizer and best friend Brad Sullivan writes, “one of the hardest things in our fishing industry is losing good men to the sea.”  more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:38

‘He was a legend, one of the best’: North Atlantic claims two N.S. fishermen

On Thursday evening, Jerome Wilson got a call from the sea. It was his friend, Capt. John Baker. The Fortune Pride had a full load of silver hake aboard and was steaming for Riverport. “He hadn’t been in Riverport for a while, so he was going to wait until morning and steam up the river in the light,” remembered Wilson, who does mechanical work on fishing boats. “Wanted me to meet him there, check a few things over. He was happy. There was no indication he expected trouble.” “I’ve never felt a pain like this in my life,” said Rejeanne Hollett on Sunday, who went from planning her wedding to crewman Phil MacInnis on Thursday morning to planning his funeral that evening. “I would give anything to have him back. Anything.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:19

F.V. Fortune Pride: Company owner identifies two N.S. fishermen who died after boat capsized off coast

The captain who died when a fishing boat capsized off the coast of eastern Nova Scotia on Thursday was an experienced fisherman who was returning to harbour with a full catch on board, says the vessel’s owner. Jose Teixeira, owner of the 18-metre F/V Fortune Pride, confirmed Saturday that John Allen Baker was the captain who died, and in a later email he identified deckhand Phil MacInnis as the second fisherman who didn’t survive after the Fortune Pride overturned. Teixeira said during an interview that the two other deckhands on board had been released from hospital, adding that when he saw them “they were in a state of shock, but they seemed to be (physically) fine.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:23

2 crew members dead after fishing boat capsizes near Halifax, 2 others released from hospital

Two crew members are dead after their fishing boat capsized late Thursday off Halifax amid four-metre waves and strong winds. Two others who were pulled from the frigid waters after the 18-metre Fortune Pride foundered have been released from hospital. Jose Teixeira, whose company owns the vessel, confirmed in a brief interview that Capt. John Allen Baker was one of the deceased. He said the vessel’s deckhand also died. Three crew members were pulled from the water on Thursday night and one at 11:30 a.m. AT Friday, according to Kelsey Marshall of the Canadian Coast Guard.Video,  more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:23

UPDATE: Fourth crew member rescued off N.S. coast after fishing vessel capsizes

The fourth and final missing crew member has been recovered and is being flown to hospital in Halifax after an 18-metre fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Nova Scotia Thursday night. In a Friday morning update, Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Halifax said the crew member was found in a life raft by search and rescue technicians and was unresponsive when taken onboard a Cormorant helicopter. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:45

1 person missing, 3 others brought to shore after fishing boat capsizes near Halifax

One person is missing and three have been brought to shore after a fishing vessel capsized near Halifax Thursday night. The vessel in question is the 18-metre Fortune Pride. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax said Friday that it responded to an emergency beacon at around 10 p.m. The location of the beacon was approximately 18 kilometres southeast of Sambro, N.S. Two coast guard vessels, the CCGS Hare Bay and the CCGS Sir William Alexander, were involved in the rescue efforts, in addition to a Cormorant helicopter and a Hercules fixed-wing aircraft, said the JRCC. The JRCC said the CCGS Hare Bay “recovered” three people, two conscious and the third unconscious. They were all taken to hospital. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:08

Lobster dealer accused of intimidation arrested on extortion, threats charges

A 65-year-old lobster dealer accused of threatening and intimidating multiple people in the fishery in southwest Nova Scotia has been arrested again and faces fresh charges related to a $10,000 extortion case. RCMP Sgt. Jeff LeBlanc said in an interview that Eric David Thibault is allegedly part of an organized crime family operating in the area that is trying to exploit the lucrative lobster industry, and he allegedly organized two people to threaten and extort the victim, a former fisherman, last Thursday. There’s been increasing concern in recent years over arsons, threats and intimidation in the area, at least some of it tied to the lobster fishery. LeBlanc said the RCMP have worked hard to encourage people to come forward. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:28

‘There will be no winners.’ Atlantic Canada braces for impact of U.S. tariffs

The looming trade war between Canada and the United States raised alarm throughout the Atlantic provinces on Monday as leaders calculated the economic toll of hefty tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers said the province’s lucrative crab fishery is in jeopardy, and he’s not sure if it will open as expected next month. “I cannot sit here today and say there will be a fishery,” Jeff Loder told a news conference in St. John’s. “This is a serious situation …. We’re going to do everything we can to have a fishery, but we need to be prepared for whatever transpires.” The tariffs are the biggest threat to the province’s seafood industry since the 1992 cod moratorium, which wiped out about 30,000 jobs and a centuries-old way of life in Canada’s easternmost province, Loder added. more, >>Click to read<< 16:39

Indigenous fishers, co-operatives are winners in Ottawa’s shuffle of baby eel quotas

Ottawa has issued the latest version of how it is proposing to distribute licences for the lucrative baby eel fishery in the Maritimes. In a letter to stakeholders on Monday, the Fisheries Department says it is maintaining its plan to shift half the quota of close to 10,000 kilograms of elvers away from nine large licence holders to new entrants from Indigenous communities. However, Ottawa confirms it is backing away from a pilot project to redistribute 27 per cent of the catch of the nine licence holders to 120 fishers who used to work for them. That old pilot proposal, introduced in December, drew strong criticism from the potential recipients, who said they preferred to remain employees and felt safer on the rivers under the existing arrangement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:33

N.S. premier clarifies his government stands by Georges Bank moratorium

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his government will respect the oil and gas development moratorium for Georges Bank and he’s blaming unnamed special interest groups looking to “promote falsehoods” for a misunderstanding of his position on the matter. The premier made the comments in a letter he sent fishing industry representatives several days after saying his government would be open to revisiting the decades-old development moratorium around the valuable and productive fishing grounds. “This narrative grew because special interests aligned to promote falsehoods,” Houston wrote in the letter. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:56

Jamie Sarkonak: Feds’ racial politics have plunged Canadian fisheries into chaos

There are Indigenous fishers, and there are non-Indigenous fishers — and every year, the federal government takes more and more away from one to give to the other, citing reconciliation and an ever-expanding notion of Indigenous rights. Up until last week, the 2025 edition of this game of racial redistribution involved the Liberal government planning to take away between 75 and 90 per cent of the commercial American eel quota and giving 50 per cent to First Nations in Atlantic Canada, with another 27 per cent going to employees of those who already have eel licences. Eel fishers were only saved by a last-minute cancellation of the changes on Thursday, when Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier came to her senses and called it off. Indeed, in 2021, commercial crab fishers in one fishing zone of British Columbia had half of their trapping allocation taken by the government and redistributed to Indigenous people to assist them in earning a “moderate livelihood.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46

Increasing Jonah crab numbers a problem for lobster fishermen in parts of Nova Scotia

A burgeoning Jonah crab population is proving a challenge for some Nova Scotia lobster fishermen. Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association, says the crabs are having a significant impact on the lobster catch in certain areas, particularly in lobster fishing area 34, which stretches from Yarmouth to the Bay of Fundy. He said fishermen in some areas are reporting a drop of 20 to 25 per cent in their lobster catches. Jonah crabs are a valuable bycatch in lobster fishing area 34 and can be kept for use as bait or for sale if they measure at least 130 millimetres, Fleck said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:14

Mi’kmaw chiefs reject DFO’s $260M funding offer for fisheries access

In a news release Friday, the assembly’s 13 chiefs said they were concerned the proposal was “a rebranding of previously rejected proposals” and a threat to treaty rights. “This proposal raises serious alarms,” Chief Wilbert Marshall said in the release. “DFO’s approach reminded us of earlier initiatives from the 2000s, which failed to respect and uphold our inherent rights. Our treaty right to fish is not a commercial fishery.”Chief Gerald Toney, Marshall’s co-lead of the assembly’s fisheries portfolio, said the offer from the federal government could impose constraints on treaty rights. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:35

Ottawa scraps elver fishery quota redistribution plan after backlash

The federal government is no longer moving forward with its plan to redistribute the wealth of Nova Scotia’s baby eel harvest from large licence holders to individual fishers after receiving backlash from the industry. A statement from Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier’s office said the minister reached the decision after listening to feedback from stakeholders in consultations held by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in recent weeks. A subsequent letter from the DFO in December to fishers detailing the planned redistribution said the nine commercial licensees that dominate the fishery would lose between 60 per cent and 90 per cent of their quotas, without compensation from the federal government. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:45

Federal government pitches $260M plan to increase First Nation fishing access

A nearly $260-million initiative by the federal government aimed at expanding fisheries access to First Nation communities is being met with questions from Mi’kmaw and non-Indigenous representatives alike. The three-year project by Fisheries and Oceans Canada was included in last month’s fall economic statement under the heading of Indigenous reconciliation. The aim is to “further implement the right of 34 [Mi’kmaw] and Wolastoqey Nations and the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood under the 1760-61 Peace and Friendship Treaties, as upheld in the Marshall decisions,” according to a statement from DFO spokesperson Axel Rioux. “Funding can be used towards the purchase of access, vessels and gear, and to support development and testing of governance and management structures, as well as participation in discussions with DFO at fisheries negotiation tables, with the aim of reaching long-term collaborative management agreements.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:32

Electric lobster boat nears launch by Indigenous fishery in Cape Breton

Sydney, Nova Scotia is the province’s northernmost port, situated on the rocky shores of eastern Cape Breton Island. The Membertou First Nation, located in Sydney, operates a licensed fishery. Now, it is on the cusp of a technology breakthrough. The First Nation is leading the development and build-out of an all-electric lobster fishing vessel, Lektrike’l Walipotl. Membertou partnered with Allswater, ship designers in Bedford, N.S.; Halifax-based vessel-to-grid company, BlueGrid Energy; and Oceans North Conservation Society in Ottawa to develop the electric lobster fishing vessel. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:59

Are microplastics ending up in Atlantic lobster? This researcher hopes to find out

An assistant professor in Nova Scotia has been awarded a five-year grant to study the double impact of microplastics and climate change on aquatic organisms. Jordan Park will conduct the research at Université Sainte-Anne using lobster larvae and zooplankton. Park hopes to trace whether microplastics end up in lobster found in Atlantic waters. The grant for his research is through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic, many smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair. But they don’t start out that small, said Park — plastic wares like food packages end up in the ocean and get broken down over time. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:48

COMMENTARY: Bringing peace to Atlantic lobster fisheries, By Geoffrey V. Hurly

The ongoing controversy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishing interests is centred over equity in fishing rights. Indigenous groups claim that their treaty rights (signed in the 18th century) allow them to fish lobster (or any other species for that matter) anytime of the year, including outside the regulated fishing seasons imposed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Non-Indigenous harvesters argue that Indigenous people should not have the right to catch and sell lobsters at a time of year when commercial fishermen don’t. They worry about their own livelihood if lobsters are fished out of season during their moulting breeding time. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39

d’Entremont talks fishery mismanagement, violence in Clare

The MP for West Nova says fishery disputes were top of mind in 2024. Conservative Chris d’Entremont says the federal government has mismanaged the herring and elver fishery and have not been properly enforcing illegal lobster fishing in Clare. He says Minister Diane Lebouthillier is too worried about her own riding in Quebec. “Fishery-wise, 2024 wasn’t the year we wanted. I was hoping we’d have some ears that would listen to us. We continue to get pushed aside for political reasons,” said d’Entremont. d’Entremont says southwest Nova didn’t get a cent out of Small Craft Harbour funding, with 60-70 percent of it going to the minister’s riding. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:50

Industry withholding data on one of Canada’s largest fisheries, advocates say

Advocates and scientists are raising concerns with the availability of data on one of Canada’s largest fisheries, as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans DFO is waiting on industry to provide data on the herring fishery in southwest Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy. For decades, herring stock has been declining and has been in the critical zone since 2018. In July, DFO reduced the total allowable catch to 16,000 tonnes per season, from 21,000, fixing the quota at the reduced level until 2027. Since then, advocates say the Herring Science Council — an industry body that, through an agreement with DFO, gathers the data that’s the only source of scientific information on the fishery — has not provided to the department the information it has collected. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:12

Disabled lobster licence holder wins again against DFO in court

The Federal Court has once again faulted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for how it has handled the cases of disabled lobster licence holders who sought lengthy exemptions from federal rules that require them to be on board the boat when it is fishing. In a pair of decisions this week, Justice Richard Southcott ruled the deputy minister didn’t properly take into account whether two Nova Scotia fishermen would be discriminated against when the department indicated it would stop allowing substitutes to fill in for them. Federal provisions allow a licence holder with a medical condition to be replaced by a substitute on board, but only for five years. Once that time was up, Robinson was told he could no longer use a stand-in. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:38

John DeMont: The magic of Christmas is the people who make it happen

I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that there is something magical about Christmas. The magic, in part, is that it somehow happens every year in our house with no discernible help from me. I say this with shame, not pride.  Yet, in some ways, it is for the best. The gift giving — which requires a razor’s edge balance of taste, pragmatism and good will — falls, for good reason, as lightly as a snowflake upon my shoulders. At this point, a thought often occurs to me similar to the one passing through my mind when I head downstairs on Christmas morning: that for this magic to occur, extraordinary people must do remarkable things. In the case of the fisher folk, they must rise in the dark and don layers of clothes. They must drive to a wharf, then they must steam kilometres out on the wild Atlantic Ocean, where they then will hoist up traps from the depths. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:22

Elver prosecutions trickle into court after ‘hell’ year on N.S. and N.B. rivers

About three dozen people have been charged with offences related to this year’s chaotic illegal fishery for juvenile eels in the Maritimes, a number that falls well short of the overall tally of arrests this spring but which the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans says could grow. The enforcement of the lucrative fishery for the tiny eels, also known as elvers, has been heavily scrutinized in recent years, with many in the industry outspoken about what they view as a failure to crack down on rampant poaching. The department said Friday that 37 people have been charged with elver-related fisheries offences committed in 2024, providing for the first time a concrete number of prosecutions that have emerged from a year when fisheries officers struggled badly to keep pace. more. >>CLICK TO READ<< 19: 03

Nova Scotia against proposal to reallocate commercial elver quota

“We just don’t agree,” Houston said about Ottawa’s proposal, which he called a shining example of the government’s “inability to properly understand and manage the fishery. It’s been communicated to them that we are not a fan of what they are trying to do there.” The elver fishery in the Maritimes has been tainted in recent years by drama and violence because of how profitable it is — the baby eels had reached market values as high as about $5,000 per kilogram in recent years. Under the proposed pilot allocation, the federal Fisheries Department is offering licences to 120 fishers currently employed by commercial licence holders, granting them 27 per cent of the overall quota. A further 1.5 per cent would be allocated to licences offered to 30 fishers who currently catch adult eels. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:49

Mik’maq elver fishers hope quotas create safety on N.S. rivers, but critics doubtful

Indigenous elver fishers who once were at odds with federal fisheries officers say they’re hopeful that a new plan to provide them quotas this season will create more peace on the water. Earlier this month, a letter released by the federal Fisheries Department proposed a new quota system for the lucrative baby eel fishery that shifts 50 per cent of the total allowable catch of about 9,960 kilograms to First Nations fishers from commercial licence holders. Commercial elver fishers in the Maritimes have condemned the new system, saying it slashes their quotas without compensation, leaving little motivation for non-Indigenous companies to share their methods and facilities with the Indigenous entrants. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:02

Fire destroys lobster boat in Canada Creek, N.S.

A fire on a lobster fishing boat in Canada Creek, N.S., took several hours to get under control, according to the local fire department. Kevin Ernest, spokesperson for the Waterville and District Fire Department, says emergency services were called to the wharf around 9:30 a.m. Thursday. By the time the fire department arrived, the boat was fully engulfed in flames. Ernest says it was a “stubborn fire” that was difficult to get out due to the amount of fuel on board. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:56

Sipekne’katik claims ‘significant progress’ in talks with Ottawa over controversial N.S. lobster fishery

The First Nation at the centre of a highly contentious out-of-season lobster fishery in southwest Nova Scotia says mediation with the federal government is bearing fruit, with lengthy meetings between both sides leading to the first “meaningful dialogue” in 25 years. The comments from the lawyer for Sipekne’katik First Nation come in a letter to a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge that asks that litigation launched by the band against the federal government in 2021 be paused for another six months to allow negotiations to continue. The two sides, along with intervenor Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, which represents commercial fishing interests, are expected to discuss the time extension in court this morning. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:02

DFO to increase year-round lobster gear monitoring in Bay of Fundy

Enforcement officers with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans will soon have a new tool to lift, check and seize illegal lobster fishing gear from the waters between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The department is seeking a crew and vessel that would be contracted to take DFO officers on patrols to inspect fishing equipment. The patrol work isn’t new, but this contract represents an increase in surveillance and enforcement in an area where the fishing industry has called on officers to do more to deter illegal fishing operations. The contracted vessel would be responsible for patrolling throughout the Bay of Fundy and “be able to berth at various ports in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,” according to the documents published online. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:33

In once tranquil N.S. town, intimidation in the lobster industry now all too common

Standing by a bullet hole in his dining room wall, lobster buyer Geoffrey Jobert says such attacks have become an all-too-familiar reality in Nova Scotia’s largest fishery. The 30-year-old and his younger brother came to the area from Halifax to take over his father’s processing plant five years ago and now employ 100 people. He’s enjoyed making friends in the francophone town and paddling along a stunning beach near his home when he has a few spare hours. But last year, threats started after he agreed to buy the catch of a licensed, commercial harvester who was no longer willing to provide his catch to facilities allegedly purchasing illegally caught lobster. And Jobert soon learned he wasn’t the only person in the communities along the Acadian shore who experienced late-night attacks. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:35