National Post (National Edition)
U.S. fisherman says border patrol is harassing them, too
U.S. border officials have not been deliberately “harassing” Canadian fishing boats in disputed Atlantic waters — agents have boarded numerous American vessels, too, as part of an unprecedented recent operation, says a prominent Maine lobsterman.
John Drouin said his and his two sons’ boats and those of other American fishermen have all been stopped in the past couple of months by U.S. Border Patrol vessels, something he’s rarely seen in 40 years plying the waters.
“It baffles me just as much as anybody else,” said Drouin, a member of Maine’s lobster advisory council. “I have no clue why they’re here, spending taxpayers’ money and resources … (But) for whatever reason, they now have a presence.”
His revelations called into question complaints from Canadians that they are being targeted by American law enforcement in a marine “grey zone” that both countries claim as sovereign territory.
Even so, Drouin said that a Canadian Coast Guard ship appeared in the zone in recent days, an apparent response to the U.S. actions.
A border patrol spokesperson said Thursday the agency has been conducting enforcement operations within American water boundaries for “decades,” calling them a vital part of immigration and national security efforts.
In the Houlton sector that includes the disputed waters around Machias Seal Island, agents have stopped and interviewed 21 Canadian boats in the 2018 fiscal year, and will continue to conduct such operations, the spokesperson said.
None of those interventions resulted in any immigration arrests, she said, adding that the patrol also participated in two sea rescues.
Meanwhile, Drouin charges that the chief problem in the disputed area is not the border patrol, but the Canadian government’s lack of management of the fishery there. The result, he claimed, is a virtual fishing free-forall that Drouin suspects is meant to push Canadian dominance in the zone.
He also said that Canadian government aircraft have rattled Maine fishermen in the past by “buzzing” their boats and taking photographs.
The long-standing dispute over the waters came to the fore again this week after a Facebook post described how a Grand Manan lobster fisherman was stopped by the border patrol in the grey zone late last month.
Rick Doucet, New Brunswick’s fisheries minister, said he had been told about “heavily armed” border patrol agents boarding Canadian boats looking for illegal immigrants, and called the actions “overkill.” Canadian fishermen are being “harassed,” he charged.
Global Affairs Canada — describing the area as Canadian territory — said this week it is investigating the incidents.
But Drouin said he is among many American fishermen also stopped by the border patrol in May and June. In fact, he said the officers appear unfamiliar with the marine world and would almost certainly be unable to distinguish between Canadian and U.S. vessels.
The agents who stopped him asked if they could come aboard, then requested identification papers.
“I asked him what they’re up to and they said, ‘We’re just documenting who’s in the area,’ ” recalled Drouin. “They said that’s what our directive is.”
But Drouin said the bigger issue is Canadian use of the zone. While fisheries in most of Atlantic Canada have closed seasons to protect fish and shellfish stocks, the federal government allows Canadian fishermen to work in the disputed waters all but three days of the year, he alleged.
The Americans do not have closed seasons, but manage the resources through stricter limits on the size of lobster they can catch, said Drouin. The number of Canadian boats in the zone is also increasing, he charged.
The Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association was unavailable for comment Thursday, and Drouin’s claims could not be independently verified.
He said he sees it all as a way for Canada to assert its sovereignty over Machias Seal Island and the surrounding waters, with the two countries’ fishing fleets caught in between.
“We’re being used as pawns; we’re being pitted against each other.”
I HAVE NO CLUE WHY THEY’RE HERE, SPENDING TAXPAYERS’ MONEY.