People have almost died: Soaring N.S. lobster fishing tensions revealed [Video]

Tensions between fishery officers in Nova Scotia and their federal employer got so bad that officers warned that, without proper protection, increased lawlessness in the region’s fishing industries “is gonna get someone killed,” new documents reveal.

The situation reached a breaking point in July last year, when 35 of the 125 fishery officers in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Maritimes Region filed a work refusal, saying they wouldn’t do field work until they received adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect them from the increasing danger.

Communication released to Global News under the Freedom of Information Act provides a rare glimpse into how far the situation deteriorated for officers, saying they were being shot at, subjected to acts of violence at home and work, encountering fishers with long guns (rifles), and were being asked by individuals if they were “willing to die for their jobs.”

Organized crime rings linked to unauthorized …