Premier Williams and Minister Hearn encouraged with progress of committee work on fishery issues

Premier Danny Williams met today with Minister Loyola Hearn, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. The Premier and Minister were provided with an update by federal and provincial government officials on work being done by the respective levels of government and industry, to provide greater stability to the fishing industry. They were joined by provincial Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Tom Rideout and Innovation, Trade and Rural Development Minister Trevor Taylor.

Following Premier Williams� broad-based fish industry meeting on May 24, 2006, both levels of government established a joint Management Committee which has worked throughout the summer with industry and other stakeholders.

"The purpose of our meeting was to receive a comprehensive update from our officials, who have spent the entire summer working diligently to develop a framework for resolutions to challenges facing the industry," said Premier Williams. "I am very encouraged by the process and progress to date. There is a great deal of experience around the table, and it is the first time in our collective memory that the federal and provincial governments have come together with industry in such a manner. The level of cooperation and commitment is unprecedented and though we do not have all of the answers yet, I firmly believe that we are on a path to industry renewal."

"I am so pleased with the work completed thus far by our officials, who have worked in tandem with industry and other stakeholders this summer," said Minister Hearn. "I think it bodes well for the future of the industry. One of the main areas of consensus is the requirement for an integrated approach to developing solutions to challenges facing the industry. There is still much work to be done, but I believe we are on the right track."

Under the federal/provincial led Management Committee, there was a steering committee with industry and other stakeholders. From that stemmed four working committees focused on: harvesting; processing; collaborative marketing; and new technology and opportunities. Other stakeholders involved in these committees included the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities (NLFM), Memorial University and officials from the Nunatsiavut Government.

Minister Rideout commented that he is extremely pleased with the level of support for finding resolutions to issues facing the fishery. "There is a wide spread and clear recognition that change is required, and I am heartened by the cooperation demonstrated by industry and groups like the NLFM, who have so much at stake. Working together, I believe can see the industry move in a positive direction into the future."

The Management Committee reported that there have been a total of 17 meetings since May 24, 2006 with more than a 90 per cent participation rate. The Premier said this extraordinary level of participation and cooperation, especially during the busy fishing season, demonstrates the commitment of all involved to affect meaningful change to the industry in a positive way.

"The focus of the work this summer has been to develop an �ocean to plate� integrated approach to the fishery, and the update we received today is certainly a positive step towards achieving that goal," added Premier Williams. "We all agree that the status quo is not an option, and I look forward to more work being completed and thank the Management Committee and the sub committees for their work to date."

"I firmly believe that if we continue to move forward in a spirit of cooperation, we can achieve something positive for this industry," concluded Minister Hearn. "The issues are complex, however, we remain committed to implementing effective policies to ensure for a strong and viable industry well into the future."

The work of the joint Management Committee will continue in the coming weeks, with a proposed plan for next steps anticipated early in the fall.

Media contact:

Elizabeth Matthews, Director of Communications, Office of the Premier, (709)729-3960, 351-1227, elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca

Steve Outhouse, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, (613) 992-3474

2006 08 14                                         2:35 p.m.