Amendments to Fish Inspection Act Will Strengthen Law Enforcement Mechanisms 

The Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today said that amendments to the Fish Inspection Act will strengthen law enforcement mechanisms in the province�s fishing industry. The amendments will be introduced at second reading of Bill 57, An Act to Amend the Fish Inspection Act, during today�s sitting of the House of Assembly. 

�The Fish Inspection Act is very important to the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery,� said Minister Rideout. �It regulates fish inspection procedures and appropriate fish inspection protocol which is essential to ensuring that the quality of our seafood products is maximized. Consequently, we are committed to ensuring that this act maintains the strength it needs to ensure that these protocols are adhered to.  To that end, I am pleased to bring this legislation forward. 

�These amendments will go a long way in strengthening current mechanisms for law enforcement, and will serve to clarify various aspects of the existing legislation.�   

The new legislation will specify a limitations period of three years for any violation of the act, and this will be relative to the date on which the department first becomes aware of the offence. The amendments will also provide for increased authority of fish inspectors, allowing them to serve warrants for any and all records pertaining to the processing of fish. Under the new legislation, it will also be an offence to threaten or harass an inspector, with specific penalties to deal with such infractions. Furthermore, the new legislation will specify that each shipment of fish, each day of unauthorized processing, will be treated as separate counts of a given offence. 

While not related specifically to law enforcement, the amendments will also abolish the provisions of the act which require the submission of annual processing plans. 

�The fishery in our province continues to be a top priority for our government,� said Minister Rideout. �These amendments will certainly enhance the law enforcement ability of the Fish Inspection Act. In turn, we can expect that these amendments will lead to increased compliance from industry, and this will have a positive impact on fish inspection and on the enforcement of quality control principles in Newfoundland and Labrador.� 

Bill 57 was given first reading in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, November 29. 

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Media contact:
Lori Lee Oates
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 690-8403
oatesll@gov.nl.ca