May 24, 2024
The Parliamentary Fisheries and Oceans committee says the baby eel, or elver, fishery on the East Coast be reopened and a “crisis unit” set up to deal with any violence that follows.
The committee issued its recommendations in a five-point report on Thursday that concluded, “banning legal fishing does not stop poaching.”
“Since the closure of the elver fishery, criminal activity and violence has not decreased, as evidenced by the witnesses who have come forward to the committee to detail continued violence and lawlessness in their communities, including arson, assault, and attempted murder.”
Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier did not open the 2024 fishery citing concerns over conservation and the violence associated with the fishery.