Nova Scotia's fisheries minister says the federal failure to stop what he calls illegal out-of-season fishing in some of the most lucrative lobster grounds in the country has fuelled organized crime that is "terrorizing the community" along a stretch of the province's southwest.
Kent Smith made the comments in a letter last week to his federal counterpart, Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier, in which he claims the illegal fishery has "entrenched itself" in the region of Clare and surrounding areas.
Smith said in an interview his letter does not refer to the Sipekne'katik First Nation fishery, which is now the subject of a lawsuit and is currently being conducted outside of federal regulations in St. Marys Bay, which runs adjacent to the coastal communities of Clare.
