Lobster fishermen meet with MP Keddy

Conservative MP Gerald Keddy told close to 100 fishermen gathered to meet with him at the Cape Sable Island causeway Thursday afternoon that he's working towards getting them an audience with federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn.

The fishermen have been trying to bring attention to damage done to lobsters that they say is a result of scallop draggers, primarily from the Full Bay Fleet out of Digby.

Keddy supports their belief that the large draggers are causing damage to the lobster habitat in Area 29.

"My position is that the Full Bay fleet should be inside the 43/40 line and they should never have been allowed inside Area 29," he said.

"From my perspective and my position on this, there's a big difference in a lobster boat with a side rake on it who has a vested interest in the resource, fishing that resource and a boat from another area altogether with a lot more horsepower and a lot wider rake and a lot more speed raking that ground. I honestly believe that's a significant issue here," he said.

Keddy urged the fishermen, who represented many ports in Shelburne County and Yarmouth County, to wait until the minister had a chance to examine the independent review on the matter which is now underway.

"The minister said he wants more information. I've asked for a meeting. I don't know if we will get that meeting before he reads the review, but if not, we should have that with the chief scientist or at least his spokesperson," said Keddy.