Ministers clarify cuts to aircraft surveillance

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Tom Lush and Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Gerry Reid today clarified recent media reports indicating that reductions to military air services by the Department of National Defense (DND) will reduce offshore air surveillance supporting fisheries conservation and management, and environmental protection in the province.

"While the Department of National Defense has a long term plan to downsize a number of aging aircraft in their military fleet, Arthur Eggleton recently confirmed in the House of Commons that the department will continue to meet all of its obligations in terms of patrol and surveillance of coastal waters," said Minister Lush. "I agree this is an important issue that must be addressed and I commend my colleague, Gerry Reid, for bringing it to the surface."

"I have written my federal counterpart, Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal, to reiterate the importance of air surveillance in monitoring foreign fishing activity along Canada's east coast," said Minister Reid. "I further expressed concern over any future reductions in air surveillance and I will continue to monitor the situation."

Sovereignty surveillance patrols conducted by DND around Newfoundland and Labrador are performed primarily by Aurora aircraft based out of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Greenwood (Nova Scotia). DND has indicated that the number of Aurora aircraft in Canada will be reduced from 21 to 16 (three of which will come from CFB Greenwood) and flying time across the country will be reduced from about 11,000 hours to 8,000 hours by 2003-2004. DND has stated that the remaining planes will be upgraded and made more efficient in terms of surveillance and there will be no diminution of the service provided to Canadians.

Coastal patrols around Newfoundland and Labrador are cooperatively performed by DND, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Canadian Coast Guard. DFO performs fisheries surveillance using aircraft contracted from Provincial Airlines (approximately 1,900 hours of surveillance per year) and Aurora aircraft (approximately 539 hours of surveillance per year). The Canadian Coast Guard does environmental surveillance (approximately 347 hours in 2000) utilizing contracted Provincial Airlines aircraft.

"As the majority of fishery and environmental patrols are conducted by the federal government with contracted aircraft, the reductions to the number of Aurora aircraft are not expected to have a major impact on these types of patrols," said Minister Lush. "Officials with DFO, DND and the Coast Guard have further indicated that the number of fisheries patrols and surveillance missions around Newfoundland and Labrador are not anticipated to decline in 2001 or 2002."

Media Contacts: 
Tansy Mundon, Communications, Intergovernmental Affairs, (709) 729-1341
Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, Fisheries and Aquaculture, (709) 729-3778

2001 02 22                                     10:25 a.m.