"If the Federal Government had assumed custodial management, in the NAFO regulatory area, there would be no need for the Canadian delegation to negotiate for fish inside this area," said Minister Taylor. "Under a system of custodial management it is unlikely that NAFO would even exist and we certainly would not have had to negotiate a transfer of 1,000 tonnes of yellowtail flounder to the United States in the most recent NAFO meetings. What the Federal Conservatives are saying is simply wrong."

In the Prime Minister�s letter to Premier Williams in January 2006, Stephen Harper stated that, "A Conservative government would support extending custodial management of the continental shelf beyond the 200-mile limit, to the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap in the North Atlantic."

"This has not happened," said Minister Taylor. "Nothing has been extended in terms of Canadian management of this area."

Custodial management, by definition, means having decision-making authority over the Nose and Tail of the Grand Bank. Under this system, Canada would not have to negotiate access and management measures with other countries to manage stocks in this area.

According to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, under custodial management, "Canada should assume the role of managing and conserving the fisheries resources of the NAFO regulatory area in a way that would fully respect the rights of other nations that have historically fished these grounds. The current Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans was a member of this committee when that definition was developed in 2003. Clearly, the Federal Government has not taken management of this area," said Minister Taylor.

"I can only pose the question, how can the Federal Government now claim that it has both assumed custodial management and yet continued to negotiate management of these areas through NAFO," said Minister Taylor. "The two statements are completely contradictory according to the Federal Government�s own definitions.

"Clearly, the Federal Government has done nothing to pursue the implementation of custodial management and they are now trying to convince Canadians that they have. Furthermore, management of our fish stocks through NAFO continues to negatively impact those stocks. We have nothing close to the benefits that would be achieved through custodial management.

"The reference in the platform is either a gross error or deception of the Canadian people," said the minister. "The Prime Minister should either explain the mistake or how he has assumed custodial management over the Nose and Tail of the Grand Banks."

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

2008 10 08                                                     5:00 p.m.