Lobster pots stacked on a dock in Nova Scotia.
Photo: Province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has introduced a new set of summary offences with significantly higher fines as part of a broader effort to curb illegal fisheries activity and protect the province’s seafood industry.
The measures, which came into force at the end of January, add 31 new summary offences under the Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act and related regulations. According to the provincial government, the changes are intended to give conservation officers stronger tools to address non-compliance, particularly in the shore-based fish buying and processing sector.
“We’ve heard the concerns of the seafood industry and are taking strong action,” said Kent Smith, Nova Scotia's Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “Designating new summary offences with significant fines reflects our commitment to combatting illegal activities. This step, along with others, will ensure that our seafood industry continues to grow responsibly while making our rural coastal communities safer.”
Under the new framework, offences such as falsifying, unlawfully altering or destroying documents carry fines of CAD 5,000 for a first offence and CAD 10,000 for subsequent offences. Buying or processing illegally caught fish can result in fines of CAD 25,000 for a first offence and CAD 50,000 for repeat offences, with additional fees potentially applied.
The province said conservation officers are now able to issue tickets for these offences, a change it says will strengthen day-to-day enforcement. Most existing summary offence tickets previously carried fines of less than CAD 1,000.
The new penalties follow the announcement in November of a dedicated compliance unit of inspectors focused on wharves and seafood facilities, where the province acts as the regulator. The Nova Scotian unit’s responsibilities include monitoring, inspection, investigation and enforcement of regulatory breaches.
According to the province's figures, up to 30% of annual lobster landings in Atlantic Canada are estimated to go unreported, representing up to CAD 400 million in unrealised taxable income for Nova Scotia. The government said the latest measures build on recent efforts to improve compliance, including higher maximum fines, updated regulations, enhanced reporting requirements and new traceability and enforcement tools.
