Fisheries officers seize catch of 5,330 alleged undersized lobsters

By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com



With just five days left in the commercial lobster season, DFO fisheries officers made a large catch at the

Wedgeport Tuna Wharf overnight Monday when they seized a lobster vessel, a rental truck and 35 crates of alleged illegal lobster.

DFO field supervisor Dan Fleck said the crates contained an alleged 5,330 undersized lobsters.

He called it both a career high, and a career low.

“A career high because it’s the biggest seizure I’ve ever seen of undersized lobster, but it’s definitely a career low because people are doing this to their neighbours and the other fishermen and the communities around here.”

DFO is calling this one of the biggest seizures of undersized lobster in Yarmouth County. Asked what normally constitutes a large seizure, Fleck said, “A crate, two crates…but 35 crates?”

Three people – the boat's captain and two crewmembers - have been charged under the Fisheries Act.

Charged with possession of small lobsters are Daniel Edward Doucette, 46, and Earl Patrick Boudreau, 44, both of Wedgeport, and Randall James Muise, 43, of Yarmouth. The three men are scheduled to appear in court on July 15.

DFO is still investigating the involvement of the other two people who were on the boat.

All five people were arrested and released Monday night at the wharf.

At the wharf the seized lobsters were counted, measured and photographed by the fisheries officers. Some was kept for evidence but the rest was returned live to the water at 6:30 a.m. the morning of Tuesday, May 27.

The Vanguard/NovaNewsNow.com was the only media present when the lobsters were returned to the water.

The seizure had taken place around 11 p.m. the night before as the lobster vessel Kayla and Dylan arrived at the wharf, and just as the crew was starting to offload the catch.

DFO said the boat is a licensed lobster vessel in LFA 34.

“I know we’ve been here about eight hours but we’re still in the preliminary stages of putting everything together,” Fleck said Tuesday morning, noting it was very important to DFO to get the live lobster back into the water.

The seizure was part of an ongoing investigation that the Tusket DFO detachment had been working on for several weeks. Fleck said DFO had been receiving information that undersized lobsters were being brought ashore in the area and transported to market.

“We received some valuable and credible information from members of the public and the fishing industry,” Fleck said at the wharf shortly after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. “We conducted surveillance by vessel, vehicle and on foot, which culminated last night of the seizure of the vessel alongside here this morning and the arrest of five individuals.”

Fleck would not say where specifically the lobsters had been caught.

DFO claimed that some of the seized lobster were just a “tiny bit” under the legal measure, but large quantities were a half-inch under.

"Not legal anywhere," Fleck said.

None of the allegations have yet to be proven in court.

DFO will apply for forfeiture of the seized vessel and a five-ton rental truck.

Asked if the individuals on board the vessel were surprised to see DFO officers at the wharf, Fleck said, “Very.”

He added that the level of cooperation between the department and the fishing community in southwestern Nova Scotia has been steadily increasing over the years.

“In southwest Nova Scotia we have an excellent working relationship with the fishermen,” said Fleck. “We wouldn’t have near the successes we do if we weren’t all working together. We’re all striving to maintain the same thing, our property values, our homes and our jobs.”

News of the DFO operation spread quickly in the community.

“We logged a lot of big hours on this and everybody is feeling pretty good right now,” Fleck said. “We got some good thumbs up from the fishermen.”

The seized vessel was taken into Yarmouth harbour by DFO Tuesday morning. There was a lot of interest in its arrival. The Lobster Rock Wharf was jammed with fishermen and vehicles.

Market size lobsters are selling for around $5 a pound. The commercial season off southwestern Nova Scotia closes on Saturday.