Richmond County Inshore Fishermen's Association

06/02/2026

No season extensions for any LFAs in Eastern NS

05/26/2026

The mackerel bait fishery will open tomorrow, May 27th with 220t quota for all Atlantic Provinces.
Hail out and hail in requirements, 1000 pound daily limit. Ensure your fees are paid so your conditions can be loaded to NOLS.

05/15/2026

Sipekne’katik First Nation has lost its appeal to not have to pay a portion of the legal costs for an organization representing commercial fishermen.

The Nova Scotia Scotia Court of Appeal dismissed Sipekne’katik’s claim that it shouldn’t have to pay the United Fisheries Conservation Alliance $15,000 toward its legal costs and tacked on another $6,000.

The UFCA had been awarded the costs by Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice John Keith last December to go toward its expenses for seeking intervenor status in a lawsuit brought by Sipekne’katik against the attorney general of Canada.

Sipekne’katik claimed in the lawsuit that the federal government’s fisheries enforcement violated its rights under the Treaty of 1760-61 with the British Crown. The UFCA won intervenor status in the case over the objections of lawyers representing the federal government and Sipekne’katik.

The day before the discovery was to begin, which involves the interviewing of witnesses, Sipekne’katik and the federal government notified the court that they were entering into confidential nation-to-nation negotiations and wanted the action put on hold.

After those negotiations continued past the scheduled date set by Keith, the court action was restarted. But the day before discovery was to begin on the restarted action, Sipekne’katik notified the court that it was dropping the suit.

In an affidavit filed with the court, band executive director of administration Stuart Knockwood said the legal costs of the action, which at that point had reached $572,034, were unsustainable and would cut into the First Nation’s ability to pay for social programming.

The UFCA initially sought $400,000, which it claimed amounted to 66 per cent of its total legal costs.
Keith found that amount too onerous but also took issue with how the action was repeatedly started and stopped by Sipekne’katik and the Crown.

“I am highly sympathetic to the concern that (the UFCA) prepared twice for discovery examinations that were cancelled at the last minute, resulting in unnecessary waste and delay,” wrote Keith in December.

Keith awarded the UFCA $15,000.

Sipekne’katik was supported in its appeal of that award Thursday by the federal government. But the Court of Appeal overruled those parties and granted the UFCA an additional $6,000 in costs for additional legal fees incurred by the appeal.

Meanwhile, the UFCA has launched its own legal action, seeking to have the Nova Scotia Supreme Court rule on the same questions raised by Sipekne’katik in its original lawsuit: to clarify the extent of the moderate livelihood right acknowledged by the Supreme Court of Canada in R v. Marshall over 25 years ago.

Sipekne’katik and the attorney general of Canada have opposed the action, claiming that the UFCA doesn’t have standing in the matter.

“We think the fact that we were already granted intervenor status in an action Sipekne’katik withdrew, which is asking essentially the same thing of the courts as their original action did, is a strong indicator that we do have standing to represent the fishing families of the Maritimes,” said Colin Sproule, president of the UFCA.

“Especially considering that federal government lawyers admitted during testimony that the federal government does not also represent commercial fishing families in its negotiations with Sipekneka’tik even though we’re Canadians, too.”

Attorneys for the Pink Larkin law firm, which has been representing Sipekne’katik, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

05/14/2026

Learn a variety of skills and competencies to help you safely operate vessels and prepare for Fishing Master, Fourth Class Transport Canada examinations.

04/20/2026

Setting Day for LFA 29 will be Tuesday April 21st at 0500 hours.

Wishing all our lobster fishermen/fisherwomen a safe and prosperous season!

04/15/2026

MOB drills happening Thursday morning, April 16th at the Premium Seafoods wharf in Arichat if anyone would like to watch. If you’d like your own drills please contact Gary at Fish Safe NS!

04/14/2026

Samson Industrial, formerly Samson Enterprises, they’ve rebranded their boat repair operations to reflect a new era of excellence and commitment. With a rich history dating back to 1987, their journey in the marine industry has been defined by expertise, dedication and a passion for delivering top tier boat services.
They understand the unique needs of boat owners and their rebranding reflects their renewed focus on providing cutting edge solutions with a customer-centric approach. Their team consists of skilled technicians who have a passion for boats and a commitment to providing excellent service. They are dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and techniques in the industry. Whether you’re seeking routine maintenance, intricate repairs, or a complete overhaul their team is poised to deliver services that not only meet but exceed industry standards. They offer a wide range of boat repair services, including engine repairs, fiberglass repairs, and gelcoat repairs. They also offer routine maintenance services to keep your boat running smoothly.

03/24/2026

Written policies and procedures as well as training is very important on vessels as they are also a work place!

Clearwater Seafoods pleaded guilty to two provincial safety charges in the 2024 death of a worker on a fishing vessel docked in Mulgrave.
According to Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Services (PPS), guilty pleas were entered by Clearwater Seafoods on March 10 in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court on two charges of failing to comply with a code of practice under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
According to media reports, 36-year-old Scott Dicks of Grand Bank, Newfoundland died in February 2024 while working on Clearwater's clam-harvesting vessel the “Anne Risley.”
Dicks is survived by a wife and three children, the reports state.
According to media reports, an incident occurred with an industrial space heater that was being used during a maintenance refit while the vessel was docked in Mulgrave.
According to court documents provided by PPS, Clearwater failed to ensure that an industrial space heater was installed, assembled, used, handled, stored, adjusted, maintained, repaired, inspected, serviced, tested, cleaned, and dismantled, in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.
Clearwater failed to take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to provide information such as instruction, training, supervision, and facilities, the documents provided by PPS show.
The court documents said Clearwater also failed to ensure written policies, procedures and hazard assessments were created regarding the re-fit maintenance project aboard the “Anne Risley,” PPS noted.
An agreed statement of facts, a victim impact statement from Dicks’ family, and joint sentencing recommendation are scheduled to be delivered April 22 in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court, PPS added.

02/26/2026

Have you renewed your 2026 PFR yet?
We have various methods to get registered with us.

Give us a call, come into the office, or fill out the Fish Harvesters application form and email to [email protected]
⬇️
https://www.nsfishharvesters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Fish_Harvesters_form_final.pdf
We accept cash, credit card, debit visa/mastercard, e-transfers, cheque.

02/14/2026

DFO-certified electronic logbooks in Canada - ELOGs. Discover the benefits of our fisheries software such as catch reporting, increasing profitability + more.