September 3, 1996
(Fisheries and Aquaculture)

Meeting today on foreign overfishing

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister John Efford is in Ottawa today for discussions with two federal ministers about a long-term solution to foreign overfishing on the Grand Banks.

He is meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Fred Mifflin. Industry officials are also attending.

Mr. Efford said that while much has been accomplished as a result of Canada's efforts to protect fish stocks that straddle Canada's 200- mile limit, "the threat of foreign overfishing resuming again is never too far away unless certain actions are taken both for the short-term and the long-term."

Most urgently needed, he said, is for Canada to ratify the 1995 United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Species, and to urge other countries to do the same.

"Ratification of the agreement by all countries involved is the best long-term solution to foreign overfishing," Mr. Efford said, noting that the United States just recently ratified the agreement.

Meanwhile, he said, until an effective and permanent international fisheries regime based on the UN Agreement is established and functioning effectively, and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) is reformed to provide for effective conservation of straddling stocks in NAFO-managed fisheries outside Canada's 200-mile limit, Bill C-29, the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act, must be maintained as an effective deterrent to foreign overfishing. Bill C-29 gives the federal government authority to take unilateral action, where necessary, against foreign vessels overfishing stocks outside the 200- mile limit on the Grand Banks.

Mr. Efford noted that all premiers, at their meeting in August, agreed that Canada should retain Bill C-29 until a more permanent fisheries regime is established and NAFO is reformed. The premiers also issued a call for Canada to ratify the 1995 UN Agreement, and press other nations to do the same, and work with other nations for effective reform of NAFO.

"Canada's leadership to date to conserve and rebuild straddling stocks is indeed commendable. But unless these other actions are taken, the considerable progress made to date could be for nothing, because without them foreign overfishing is still a very real threat," Mr. Efford cautioned.

"We cannot and must not take the risk of another free-for-all by foreign fishing fleets in the Northwest Atlantic. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador must never again be subjected to the economic and social upheaval that has occurred because of past foreign overfishing of straddling stocks," he said, noting that rebuilding and conservation of these stocks are critical to the rebuilding of the province's fisheries economy.

The meeting today is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Contact: Josephine Cheeseman, Director of Communications (709) 729- 3733.

BACKGROUND

• Foreign overfishing, particularly by European Union (EU) vessels, had a significant negative impact on the dramatic decline of groundfish stocks that straddle Canada's 200-mile economic zone on the Grand Banks. There have been times when EU vessels consistently overharvested quotas established by NAFO by 10 to 20 times. Misreporting of catches and use of small mesh size not approved by NAFO have also been common.
• Foreign overfishing, combined with other significant factors such as ineffective fisheries management by Canada in its own waters, led ultimately in 1992 to a moratorium by Canada on northern cod. In 1993, moratoria were imposed on all cod stocks in fishing zones around Newfoundland and Labrador, and on several flatfish stocks. Other Atlantic Provinces were affected by similar closures and reduced quotas.
• The moratoria imposed in 1993 resulted in the biggest single layoff in Canadian history. The crisis has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of fisheries workers and communities throughout eastern Canada. Nowhere, however, has the impact been more severe than in Newfoundland and Labrador where 27,000 fish harvesters and plant workers have lost their jobs.
• Since 1994, Canada has taken decisive action to address the foreign overfishing problem. In May that year, Parliament unanimously approved Bill C-29, the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act. This enables Canada to take unilateral action, where necessary, against foreign vessels overfishing stocks outside the 200-mile limit on the Grand Banks.
• Early in 1995, acting under Bill C-29, Canada arrested the Spanish vessel Estai for overfishing turbot outside the 200-mile limit in the area managed by NAFO. Subsequent to this, Canada negotiated with the EU an agreement which resulted in substantial improvements to the NAFO enforcement regime. These improvements have since been endorsed by all NAFO members.
• Canada played a lead role in pressing for an effective resolution of the problem at the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, resulting in the 1995 Agreement, the principal elements of which are:

   

• Stronger rules for conservation of straddling stocks;

   

• New powers for enforcement of conservation rules outside 200 miles; and

   

• Binding and compulsory dispute settlement of international fisheries disputes.
• August 1996, the United States ratified the 1995 United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.
• August 1996 at their meeting in Alberta, all Premiers called upon Canada to ratify on an urgent basis, the United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. They also gave strong support for Bill C-29, and agreed that Canada should retain this legislation as a deterrent to foreign overfishing until an effective and permanent international fisheries regime based on the UN Agreement is established and NAFO is reformed to provide for effective conservation of straddling stocks outside Canada's 200-mile limit.