Premier urges federal government to take action against over-fishing

"Canada cannot allow foreign fleets to recklessly ignore regulations and quotas and must act now to curtail these illegal activities," stated Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Denmark, which participates in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) on behalf of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, has filed an objection to the 2004 3L shrimp quota established by NAFO and has stated they will arbitrarily set their own quota for the stock.

"The 3L shrimp is a straddling stock, and we cannot continue to permit blatant disregard by other nations for established conservation measures," said Premier Williams. "The objection procedure continues to demonstrate NAFO�s ineffectiveness at conserving fish stocks, and reinforces the need for an alternative management regime, such as custodial management. I am urging the federal government to take immediate steps to protect the stocks on the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks."

Premier Williams has spoken with Prime Minister Paul Martin and several federal ministers regarding the issue of foreign over-fishing and its serious implications for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has also traveled to Brussels to meet with members of the European Union Fisheries Commission.

"As a result of irresponsible and careless activity, we lost our cod fishery, and more significantly, we lost tens of thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as people had to leave their homes as a result of the moratorium. The negative impact of this on our province has been tremendous and today, more than 10 years after this disaster we continue to see the ineffectiveness of NAFO in protecting these resources," added the Premier. "The United Nations has identified foreign over-fishing as one of the top 10 overlooked international media stories of the year, and as far as I�m concerned NAFO facilitates the indifference to this detrimental activity."

If a NAFO-member country does not agree with a quota set by the organization, that country can then formally advise NAFO that it disagrees with the quota and may then arbitrarily set a quota of its own. In January 2004, Denmark objected to the NAFO allocation of 144mt (72mt for each of the Faroe Islands and Greenland) and on June 30, 2004 advised the NAFO Secretariat that it has set an autonomous quota of 1,344mt (672mt each for the Faroes and Greenland). Denmark also objected in 2003.

"The objection procedure is the most obvious flaw within the NAFO regime," added Trevor Taylor, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "Member countries sit down to negotiate quotas based on science and presumably what is best for each species. Then, if a country leaves the room and decides they are not happy with the quota, they simply write a letter to object and fish as much as they like. It is absolutely ludicrous and absurd, and a clear indication that we cannot rely upon NAFO to protect these resources. It is time for the Government of Canada to take firm and absolute action and declare custodial management of the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks."

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960

2004 07 19                                        2:55 p.m.