Fisheries and Aquaculture
July 21, 2014

Protecting the Provincial Fishery

All Party Committee to Meet with Federal Fisheries Minister

During recent meetings of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers in Calgary, the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, met with the Honourable Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to stress the importance of meeting with the province’s all party committee on federal shrimp quota allocations. Minister Shea has now officially agreed to meet the all party committee in St. John’s tomorrow (Tuesday, July 22) to engage in discussions about the management of northern shrimp resources.

“This meeting will provide an opportunity for the all party committee to engage Minister Shea directly about the tremendous negative impact the ‘Last In, First Out’ policy will have if the Federal Government continues to use it when allocating shrimp quotas to both provincial fleet sectors. Feedback received by the all party committee from industry and community stakeholders has given us meaningful information that will help us pursue more equitable shrimp allocations.”
- The Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture

The Provincial Government has voiced strong opposition to the Federal Government’s “Last In, First Out” (LIFO) policy since 2010, as this policy forces inshore harvesters who have been involved in the fishery since 1997 to bear the brunt of quota cuts that are necessary to protect the stock.

“It is crucial that Minister Shea understand the implications of LIFO on the northern shrimp resources in our province. The all party committee will impress upon Minister Shea the necessity of eliminating LIFO as it pertains to allocating shrimp quotas for Newfoundland and Labrador. The Federal Government must also work with the province on a new sharing arrangement which reflects our adjacency to northern shrimp stocks.”
- Dwight Ball, Leader of the Official Opposition

More than 100 communities in which inshore shrimp harvesters and plant workers reside will be impacted by federal allocation decisions.

“The Federal Government policy will have a devastating effect on the communities and workers involved in the inshore shrimp fishery. It is heartless and irresponsible for them to dismiss the millions of dollars operators have invested in their fishing enterprises. If quota reductions are necessary, then the burden should be shared across the industry rather than unfairly loaded on the inshore sector.”
- Lorraine Michael, Leader of the New Democratic Party

The all party committee established four recommendations when meeting federal committees in Ottawa in May:

1. To eliminate the “Last In, First Out” policy (LIFO) and establish a new sharing arrangement between the inshore and offshore through a process that is consistent with those applied to other fisheries;
2. To ensure that this new sharing arrangement considers adjacency and reflects the history of both fleets in the northern shrimp fishery;
3. To carry out an immediate, full scientific assessment on the northern shrimp resources, and that full assessments occur annually during this time of apparent resource decline; and
4. To implement a plan to study the impact of climate change on the ecosystem and the northern shrimp resources.

QUICK FACTS

• Members of the all party committee on federal shrimp quota allocations will meet with federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea on July 22 to address concerns about the Federal Government’s “Last In, First Out” policy.
• The all party committee delivered a presentation regarding the impact of the “Last In, First Out” policy to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on May 5, and to the Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on May 6.
• The Provincial Government acknowledges that quota reductions may be required to protect the shrimp resources off the province’s coasts, but those reductions must involve equitable distribution of shrimp among inshore and offshore harvesters.
• Inshore harvesters were made regular licence holders in 2007 and have made major financial investments in the industry.
• The total landed value of shrimp harvested by the province’s offshore and inshore sectors in 2013 was $187 million.

- 30 -

Media contacts:

Jason Card Director of Communications Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture 709-729-3733, 699-0470 jasoncard@gov.nl.ca	Carla Foote Director of Communications Office of the Official Opposition 709-729-6151, 691-6673 carlafoote@gov.nl.ca
Jean Graham Director of Communications New Democratic Party Caucus Office 709-729-2137, 709-693-9172 jeangraham@gov.nl.ca

   2014 07 21                                         4:50 p.m.