Two Nova Scotia processors charged with buying illegally harvested lobster, DFO raids another facility

Two Nova Scotia fish plant operators have been charged by the province with buying illegally harvested seafood.

Independent Fisheries of Lockeport and 3329874 Nova Scotia Ltd. of North West Harbour have been charged with buying, selling or processing illegally caught fish products and with buying fish products from a person who does not have a valid commercial license.

The numbered company faces a third charge of buying, selling or processing fish products without a valid licence.

The charges come with potential maximum fines of $1 million each.

The charges were laid by Department of Natural Resources officers who are tasked with enforcing provincial laws on the processing, buying and marketing of seafood. The federal government is responsible for enforcing commercial fishing laws.

“Nova Scotia’s conservation officers do vital work protecting our natural resources, supporting public safety and standing up for the law-abiding harvesters and businesses that depend on a fair, sustainable fishery,” reads a written statement from Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton.

“The recent charges they laid show that illegal activity will be taken seriously and that our officers are committed to protecting the integrity of the legal fishery and the coastal communities it supports.”

Independent Fisheries had until recently listed its director as Xiaoming Mao, who has bought several plants around Nova Scotia in recent years.

Mao and Independent Fisheries are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, representing commercial fishermen across the Maritimes. The suit, filed in 2024, alleges Independent Fisheries participated in a criminal conspiracy to buy lobster caught by First Nations harvesters without legal licences.

It alleges lobster landed by First Nations fishers was picked up at the federal government-owned wharf at Saulnierville in a truck driven by Jason Lamrock, who then took the loads either directly to Independent’s Sable River plant or to a refrigerated truck on his personal property.

Independent has denied the allegations in the lawsuit and refuted the charges laid by the province Friday.

“Independent Fisheries is a proud contributor to Nova Scotia’s South Shore, employing over 80 people and maintaining the highest standards of quality and food safety,” reads a written statement from the company.

“We operate with a robust due diligence process to ensure all lobster is sourced in-season from legal licence holders, including requiring proof of origin for every transaction. It is the role of third-party dealers to ascertain and accurately represent where the lobster they are selling has been sourced from. Independent Fisheries vehemently denies any allegations of wrongdoing and looks forward to being vindicated through the legal process.”

Meanwhile, federal fisheries officers were seen dumping lobster seized from an as-yet unidentified fish plant back into the water from the Bear Point wharf Friday morning.

The crackdown comes in the lead-up to the valuable lobster fishery along the South Shore opening in November.

UFCA president Colin Sproul welcomed the charges and thanked the premier and provincial Fisheries Minister Kent Smith for investing in the new fisheries compliance unit.

“This is a great day for all fishermen,” said Sproul.

“There is no place in our communities for people who perpetuate this activity. This is an existential threat for our fishing communities. St. Peter’s Bay and St. Mary’s Bay cannot take any more of this illegal fishing pressure. If the province can eliminate the marketplace for this activity it will curtail the illegal fishing.”