To Mr. Burns, all public prosecutors, when they are prosecuting a federal charge, ask themselves two questions: Is there a reasonable prospect of a conviction, and is it in the public interest? I'm not talking about the conviction aspect but the public interest you referenced.
All the times I prosecuted in Ontario, when I withdrew a charge because of a public interest issue, I had to articulate the reasons behind that on the record. In the case of the Public Prosecution Service in the Maritimes, what general set of reasons are they putting on the record when they are withdrawing charges under the Fisheries Act on public grounds?