Fisherman prepared to die

Photo: The Canadian Press

Richard Gillett is a bull of a man, with hands that make the bottle of water he's holding look small. He's thick-necked, stands almost six feet tall and weighed 250 pounds before he stopped eating almost a week ago.

On Wednesday, this tough-guy Newfoundland fisherman, known for his three seasons on the reality show "Cold Water Cowboys," fought back tears outside the federal fisheries headquarters in St. John's.

"I'm prepared to go as far as I've got to," he said.

He started a hunger strike last Thursday, and has slept in a tent here in freezing temperatures and biting winds every night since. He holds up a slushy bottle of urine, the only toilet he needs on a water-only diet.

Gillett is protesting what he says is dire mismanagement of stocks ranging from crab to capelin. His home is now a donated canvas Girl Guides cook's tent with a small wood stove in the corner for warmth.

Gillett said he will die if he has to. It's a pledge he made repeatedly during an interview Wednesday as his parents, John and Linda, sat listening. They have been at his side along with his wife, Joyce, and supporters who've dropped by offering everything from firewood to blankets.

His demands include a teleconference call with federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc and an independent review of science and management for all provincial fish stocks. He also wants a review of the relationship between the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, representing harvesters, and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.