A 24-year-old man from Yarmouth County has been charged with arson in relation to a fire that destroyed a lobster pound in Middle West Pubnico, N.S. in the fall of last year.
The fish plant was being used by Mi’kmaw fishers when the fire took place late in the evening on Oct. 16, 2020.
READ MORE: Massive fire destroys lobster pound in southern Nova Scotia
In a release at the time, the RCMP said the fish plant was completely destroyed, but unoccupied, so there were no injuries to employees.
Police did say one man who wasn’t an employee was taken to hospital and suffered life-threatening injuries. It’s believed the injuries were related to the fire.
The blaze occurred two days after a confrontation at the plant when about 200 non-Indigenous fishers and their supporters converged on the building, which was storing lobster caught by Sipekne’katik First Nation.
The band’s fishery had captured national attention in September 2020 when its fishers started setting lobster traps in St. Marys Bay before the start of the federally regulated fishing season.
In an update on the case Friday, police said on Wednesday, they arrested Brendon Douglas James Porter, 24, of East Pubnico, N.S., and charged him with arson.
He was held in custody Wednesday night and then released on what police referred to as strict conditions during the day Thursday.
He will next appear in Shelburne provincial court on Aug. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
-With files from Sean Boynton and The Canadian Press