Fishermen want to halt testing

An ambitious plan to lower two massive turbines into the Bay of Fundy, where they will be tested against the awesome power of the world’s highest tides, has hit more legal turbulence.

A group of Nova Scotia fishermen will seek a court order to suspend the Cape Sharp Tidal project until a judge can review the case early next year.

The 175-member Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association confirmed Tuesday it will head to court Oct. 20 to seek a stay of a June decision by Nova Scotia’s environment minister to approve the project’s test phase.

“It’s is critically important,’’ spokesman Colin Sproul said in an interview.

“If that turbine goes in the water in the Bay of Fundy (this fall) .... it will never be removed. That’s why it’s so critical for our case for the stay application to pass.’’

Cape Sharp’s 1,000-tonne electric turbines are expected to be placed in the Minas Passage, a five-kilometre-wide channel at the east of the bay near Parrsboro, where tides left a smaller test turbine badly damaged in 2009.

The Nova Scotia government has said the slow-moving turbines are unlikely to have a “food processor effect’’ on marine life.

The fishermen have already secured a February court date to have a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge review the minister’s decision, but Sproul said the group decided to seek the stay after Cape Sharp Tidal would not agree to keeping the project on hold until after the review hearing.