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Province encouraged by Prime Minister�s signals of action on overfishing The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased with the Government of Canada�s latest attempt to address the intentional fishing of banned fish species in international waters. Premier Danny Williams received reassurances of action from Prime Minister Paul Martin again yesterday, and is encouraged that Canada is taking steps to find solutions which will address the serious issue of foreign overfishing off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Premier is further encouraged by the fact that the Prime Minister is recruiting and accumulating significant support to address foreign overfishing. "When I first met with Prime Minister Martin a year ago, he assured me of his commitment to address this issue which dramatically impacts the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador," said Premier Williams. "In recent months, the Prime Minister has lived up to that commitment and has taken steps to generate international awareness of the need to better protect moratoria species. In addition to improving the federal government�s surveillance on international waters, the Prime Minister has also raised concerns about overfishing with his counterparts in Russia, France, and Brazil. He has pressed for an international �Moving from Words to Action� conference on overfishing in St. John�s in May 2005. This international dialogue, combined with yesterday�s closure of Canada�s ports to all Faroese and Greenlandic vessels for exceeding shrimp quotas, are certainly positive steps from Newfoundland and Labrador�s perspective." While encouraged by the Prime Minister�s actions, the Premier was careful to point to the need for a lasting solution. "There continue to be high expectations for Prime Minister Martin and we recognize that there are many demands for his express involvement," said the Premier. "Unfortunately, the number of banned species captured tripled from 2002 to 2003. Clearly, rogue vessels are not concerned with what politicians and government officials say around boardroom tables. The only thing they understand is a physical presence out on the water and being successfully prosecuted for their crimes when they return home." Trevor Taylor, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs, is also cautiously optimistic about recent efforts to address foreign overfishing. "Our Prime Minister�s participation is absolutely critical. By announcing the closure of Canada�s ports to the Faroese and Greenlandic fleets, Prime Minister Martin is showing the quick action that is, unfortunately, the only way to deal with offending nations," said Minister Taylor. "It must be clear that port closures are not a long-term solution because many offending vessels are from countries that do not use our ports. However, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Geoff Regan, has recently spoken about overfishing in Lisbon, London, and New York, in addition to the Prime Minister raising it internationally. While we have the attention of the Faroese and Greenland governments, we need to further demonstrate to the international community that we are fed up and are not going to put up with this overfishing anymore." The issue of foreign overfishing is very serious for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) rigorously ensures that local fish harvesters follow conservation measures to protect depleted fish stocks, but many of these moratoria fish swim beyond the 200-mile limit, where they are taken in alarming numbers by foreign vessels. It is the position of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador that, given the repeated failure of diplomacy, the Government of Canada must become the custodial manager of fish stocks straddling the 200-mile limit. Media contact: 2004 12 02 2:10 p.m. |
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