CITYnews halifax: Federal officials seize tonnes of N.S. halibut, charge captain with illegal fishing

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press.

Federal fisheries officials have seized more than $170,000 worth of halibut after a captain was allegedly found fishing in a protected area in Nova Scotia.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a social media post that officers tracked the vessel within the St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area, east of Cape Breton, on July 6 and July 8.

The department says it tried multiple times to hail the boat, but it kept fishing.

Officers boarded the vessel on July 8 and ordered it to dock in Louisbourg, N.S.

The next day, the department says it seized the 8,000-kilogram catch.

Officials charged the captain with illegal fishing, obstruction and failure to report his catch.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.