Shrimp auction outbid

Trevor Taylor, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today announced that the province�s harvester and processing sectors have reached an agreement to address structural problems in the inshore shrimp fishery. This consensus will move the industry forward and provide for a spring 2004 fishery.

Members of the shrimp industry have informed Minister Taylor that they plan to act based on the recommendations in the 2002 Inshore Shrimp Panel Report and the resulting Implementation Plan developed by Bill Broderick and Gabe Gregory in 2003.

"In January, I asked the shrimp harvesters and processors to present me with a joint proposal to address structural problems in the shrimp industry," said Minister Taylor. "In the absence of a proposal, I said that I would act in the interests of industry stability, and since early February we have been preparing to implement a shrimp auction. While we were preparing to proceed with the auction on April 1, I am pleased that an industry-made solution has been achieved."

Minister Taylor, who will be returning from a successful visit to the International Boston Seafood Show on Tuesday afternoon, added: "The acceptance of the Broderick/Gregory Implementation Plan shows that both sides can work together. This spirit of cooperation should be an example to some other sectors of the fishery, of what can be achieved when a cooperative approach is taken."

The minister also indicated there are many benefits to an auction and that he will work with industry to determine if there are opportunities in other fisheries for an auction system.

As a result of today�s announcement, the Call for Proposals evaluation process to establish the shrimp auction has been cancelled, and the decision to implement the hail-at-sea shrimp auction has been deferred indefinitely.

Media contact: Alex Marland, Communications, (709) 729-3733 or (709) 690-6047