HALLOWELL, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Canadian lobstermen staged another protest Wednesday in New Brunswick, this time in Fredericton. They are trying to keep inexpensive Maine lobster out of Canadian processing facilities as the Canadian lobster season gets set to begin.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, about 100 fishermen gather outside the office of the federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Keith Ashfield. A few of them tossed lobster traps into the reception area of the Ashfield's office. Ashfield promised the fishermen a meeting on Friday.
Meanwhile, Maine's Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources says most Canadian lobster processing plants have shut down for at least the next two days because of the dispute. And it could last into the weekend.
This is a huge problem for Maine, as 70 percent of the lobster landed here is processed in Canada. DMR Commissioner Pat Keliher said Maine is trying to get the federal government involved to make sure U.S. lobster can be processed. He said the U.S. needs Canadian officials to act quickly and not give in to the Canadian lobstermen's demands for subsidies.
"The Royal Canadian Mounted police need to start arresting people," Keliher said. "If they're going to be problematic, if they're going to be breaking the law, they need to be arrested and our products need to be delivered safely to those processors."
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