US: Knives out on Maine-Canada border as lobster fishery gray zone dispute gets pointed over poaching accusations

A long-running dispute over lobster fishing rights on the disputed border between the Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. state of Maine is heating up.After being “harassed, threatened, and attacked” with shotguns, knives, and bear spray, Canadian fisheries enforcement officers appear to be pulling back on enforcement efforts, with as many as many as 35 percent of agents assigned to marine patrols in the area refusing to report for duty, according to Union of Health and Environment Workers President Shimen Fayad. Fayad’s union represents fishery enforcement officers across Canada, including around 100 conservation and protection supervisors and fishery officers in Nova Scotia and southwestern New Brunswick.“There is a history of problems in the Maritimes region, as well as other regions, dating back many years that have led to the latest work refusal by some fisheries officers,” Fayad wrote in an email to Canada’s Brunswick News. “There have been numerous threats and ...