Industry, union join Efford in condemning Dhaliwal�s decision
on the Northern Shrimp Plan

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister John Efford, Earle McCurdy of the Fish ,Food and Allied Workers Union, and Alastair O�Reilly of the Fisheries Association of Newfoundland and Labrador joined together today to condemn the decision made by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to allocate a Northern shrimp quota to Prince Edward Island and to state very clearly that they can no longer trust Minister Herb Dhaliwal to manage our fisheries.

Minster Efford joined with Mr. McCurdy and Mr. O�Reilly in demanding Minister Dhaliwal�s resignation. "We no longer have any confidence in him," said Minister Efford.

They are also demanding an immediate meeting with Newfoundland MP and Cabinet Minister George Baker, saying his lack of representation on this issue is inexcusable and it is his responsibility to explain to the people of this province why Prince Edward Island was given access to a valuable resource in waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.

Coastal communities around the province are also being encouraged to speak out against the PEI quota and to remind Minister Dhaliwal of their struggle to stay alive following the groundfish moratorium. Minister Efford said it is outrageous that a shrimp allocation in 3L was approved for another province when adjacent coastal communities in Newfoundland, who are desperate for work should have been given priority access.

"The province�s rural economy has been gutted by federal mismanagement of the groundfishery and it is nothing short of hypocrisy that new opportunities for those communities are now being given to other provinces," said Minister Efford.

Minister Efford added that by compromising the key principle of adjacency in fisheries management, Minister Dhaliwal�s credibility has been crushed. "It�s clear that a shrimp allocation for PEI means the adjacency principle wasn�t worth the paper it was written on. I have lost all confidence in Minister Dhaliwal�s ability as fisheries minister and will be boycotting all upcoming national and Atlantic fisheries minsters meetings."

He said this decision is a step backwards for the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"We had a 25 per cent cut in our crab quota this year and there is an indication of a further cut next year, we had a cut in our 3Ps fishery, we just had our Northeast Coast cod quota slashed by 2,000 tonnes. After all of this, it is inconceivable that a federal minister would give a Newfoundland and Labrador resource to PEI."

Earle McCurdy said DFO used our government, industry and interest groups in the province by stating the quota allocation was decided on the advice of the Northern Shrimp Advisory Committee, when in fact, the new shrimp management plan violates the principles agreed to by the Shrimp Advisory Committee.

He added: "This decision by Mr. Dhaliwal throws out the rule book of resource allocation. At the root of it is the attitude in Ottawa that resources off Newfoundland and Labrador are expendable. It�s exactly the same attitude we saw toward the Northern cod in the 1970s and �80s. Mr. Dhaliwal has to explain why 3L shrimp allocations agreed to earlier have been tossed out the window."

Minister Efford said our collective interest can no longer be served through the Northern Shrimp Advisory Committee. "We will no longer participate in this committee."

Alastair O�Reilly said the business and investment climate in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry has been undermined. "With a privately financed investment in excess of $100 million and capacity utilization levels at roughly 50 per cent, this decision is an insult to the companies, harvesters, plant workers and communities that have developed a world class presence in global shrimp markets. For our processors, harvesters and plant workers who had hoped to join this developing fishery, Minister Dhaliwhal's decision defies explanation or justification."

Mr. O�Reilly added that it is disturbing that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is responding to the socio-political needs of PEI when major resource cuts have taken place in Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries this year.

Minister Efford, Mr. O�Reilly and Mr. McCurdy stated they will pursue this matter aggressively with Minister Baker. "Minister Baker has to explain why he is so silent on this critical issue," said Minister Efford, "and he has to be held accountable for this decision."

Media contact:

                   Sonia Glover Sullivan, Communications, (709) 729-3733.

Earle McCurdy, FFAW, (709) 576-7276.

Alastair O�Reilly, FANL, (709) 726-7223.

2000 06 16                                 2:55 p.m.