Fishermen of Maine, N.B. urged to bargain

MONCTON, New Brunswick – The federal fisheries minister has urged fishermen from New Brunswick and Maine to hammer out a common set of rules to govern lobster fishing in a disputed zone of the Bay of Fundy.

“It is very important that we bring this area under common fisheries management practices until such time as the jurisdictional dispute is resolved,” Robert Thibault said Tuesday.

The minister said the jurisdictional dispute over which country owns the 110-square-mile zone around Machias Seal Island in the Bay of Fundy could take a long time to resolve. In the meantime, he wants the fishermen to develop a fish management plan.

“It is important that we get the fishers from both countries to get it started.”

However, talks between the two sides fell apart earlier this month after a meeting in Maine failed to resolve anything.

What was expected to be a private meeting among Canadians, the marine resources commission of Maine and American fishermen, turned into a public town hall meeting that deteriorated into demands the Canadians go home.

When the Fisheries Department official and the delegation of Grand Manan, New Brunswick, fishermen left, they were told not to return until January.

Greg Thompson, a member of Parliament from New Brunswick, said Tuesday that Thibault’s position is inadequate.

Thompson said the government’s failure to resolve the boundary dispute means that there are too many fishermen in the zone and that the Canadians have essentially adopted U.S. rules by fishing out of season.

U.S. lobster fishermen are allowed to fish all year round while Canadians are restricted to seasons. The Canadians have not adopted other U.S. regulations that prevent fishermen from keeping large females.