Crab fishermen fail in efforts to have Supreme Court hear appeal on quota loss

The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from a group of P.E.I. crab fishermen, who complained their quotas had been unjustly cut.

As is standard practice, the court did not give a reason for its decision.

It's a legal dispute that's been in the courts for more than a decade.

The group of more than two dozen fishermen and companies connected to the snow crab fishery were looking for compensation for what they described as losses resulting from Fisheries and Ocean's management of the crab fishery between 2003 and 2009.

The complaints related to transfers of quotas, which the fishermen claimed amounted toexpropriation without compensation.

Initial ruling went fishermen's way

Fisheries and Oceans had offered $37.4 million in compensation, but in return wanted the fishermen to sign an agreement that they would not make any further claims. The fishermen argued the department had no right to ask them to sign a release.

In 2009 the federal court supported the fishermen, ruling the compensation must be paid without the requirement of the release.

But later that same year the federal court of appeal overturned that decision. On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada said it would not hear the appeal.

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