Fisheries and Aquaculture
May 22, 2015

Standing Strong for Halibut Harvesters

Provincial Government Urges Federal Minister to Reverse Allocation Decision on Atlantic Halibut

The Provincial Government is expressing outrage with the decision announced yesterday by the Honourable Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, on the allocation of increased quota for Atlantic halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence which effectively takes away halibut from Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters and gives it to harvesters in the Maritime Provinces.

�The decision on Gulf halibut quota allocations is just the latest in a growing trend of Federal Government actions that negatively impact our province. It is totally unacceptable that the federal minister has ignored the established sharing arrangement for Gulf halibut quotas and continues to erode our province�s share. This is strictly a political decision, in an election year, to provide for a disproportionate increase in halibut allocation to her home province of Prince Edward Island.�
- The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture

Instead of adhering to the established allocation formula, the federal minister is sharing this year�s Gulf halibut quota increase equally amongst the inshore fixed-gear fleets in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This means the Newfoundland and Labrador fleet operating out of the west coast, will receive approximately 21 tonnes of the increase instead of the 50 tonnes it should receive based on the established sharing arrangement. This decision may impact the province�s future share of Gulf halibut quotas in a similar way as past decisions by Minister Shea.

�Minister Shea has so far refused to implement an alternative to the federal last in, first out policy for northern shrimp quota allocations and has repeatedly made decisions to the detriment of the halibut harvesters in both 3Ps and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. She is continuing this trend with the quota allocations announced yesterday. These decisions, along with the Federal Government�s decision to go back on its commitment to share in a fisheries investment fund as part of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, show an ever-growing contempt for the people and the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador.�
- Minister Granter

Minister Granter has written a letter to Minister Shea outlining the province�s concerns over this decision. A copy of the letter is available at: www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2015/fishaq/0522n01_letter.pdf PDF

QUICK FACTS

  • The Provincial Government is calling on the Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to reverse her decision on Atlantic Halibut quota allocations for the Gulf of St. Lawrence announced yesterday.
  • The decision effectively takes away halibut from Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters to the benefit of Maritime Provinces, particularly Prince Edward Island.
  • The decision ignores the established sharing arrangement for Gulf halibut quotas and continues to erode Newfoundland and Labrador�s share.
  • Previous Federal Government decisions on quota allocations for northern shrimp and halibut, along with the Federal Government�s decision to go back on its commitment to share in a fisheries investment fund as part of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, show an ever-growing contempt for the people and the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • Minister Granter has written a letter to the federal minister outlining the province�s concerns over this decision. A copy of the letter is available at: www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2015/fishaq/0522n01_letter.pdf PDF.

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Media contact:
Roger Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca

2015 05 22                             9:40 a.m.