At least three Cape Island boats were blocking the 30-metre-wide channel to the wharf keeping four New Brunswick vessel from leaving to set traps in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
"As it is now we have these New Brunswick boats that came in and they're all loaded to go and set the gear," said David MacLean, a fisherman from Inverness, N.S.
"We felt this was a good time to stop it, to see if we can't get some meetings with DFO and if they can't give us any kind of an allocation at all."
MacLean said more boats from neighbouring communities were expected to arrive during the day to join the protest.
And the tiny harbour was expected to get even more congested with the anticipated arrival of a coast guard vessel from nearby Cheticamp, N.S.
MacLean said local fisherman, who have just begun lobster season, are desperately trying to cope with a dramatic drop in catch, low prices and higher fuel costs.
"The lobster catches are way, way down. I mean they've been going down every year but they really took a dive this year," he said from his home overlooking the harbour.
"We're getting paid what we were 10 years ago. You can barely make your payments. It's just wicked."
MacLean said their ability to make a living from the sea is getting harder all the time but a share of local crab stocks could help and the blockade will remain in place until they get satisfaction.
"We're not stopping any of our own crew and we're not stopping anyone that has a regular crab licence", he said.
"I guess our big beef is these permits that were given to New Brunswick people to come down here."
MacLean said the plan was to rotate boats in and out of the blockade, allowing participants to continue lobster fishing, until they get a meeting with federal fisheries officials and Premier Rodney MacDonald who represents the area in the legislature.
About 90 fishermen were involved in the protest.
RCMP officers visited the wharf shortly after it began but MacLean said they took no action and the New Brunswick boats have not tried forcing their way through the blockade.
