'Concerned for health, safety of employees': DFO keeps building closed
There were no protesters outside the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre in St. John's on Tuesday, but the building was shut down and most staff were told to stay home.
"We were and continue to be very concerned for the health and safety of our employees," wrote Jan Woodford, regional director, communications for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, in an email to CBC News.
The DFO building has been the scene of several protests and demonstrations, including an 11-day hunger strike by Richard Gillett, vice-president of the Federation of Independent Seafood Harvesters.
On Friday, Gillett supporters blocked the exit from the White Hills building's parking lot, allowing vehicles out one by one as employees tried to leave for the day.
On April 7, angry shrimp fishermen smashed a door and stormed into the building, demanding a meeting to talk about quota cuts.
"We accept the right of Canadians to peacefully protest. However, the recent behaviour by protesters, most particularly the subjecting of our employees to perceived threat and intimidation, is unacceptable," wrote Woodford.
"Our employees have a right to a safe, secure and respectful workplace, which includes safe passage to and from their place of employment."
Woodford described the situation as "dynamic" and said the department will make decisions about reopening based on all information available to it.
"We have resumed delivering some key services, such as licencing for fish harvesters and VMS monitoring for conservation," Woodford wrote in her email.
"We are looking to resume broader operations as soon as possible, and some employees are being provided with alternate work arrangements where feasible."
She did not respond to questions about whether DFO is beefing up security in the St. John's building.
