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Good morning everyone. I
would like to begin by taking the opportunity to thank the Canadian
Council of Professional Fish Harvesters for your very kind invitation to
speak at this annual gathering.
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A special thank you to Earle
McCurdy, President of the Fish Food and Allied Workers of Newfoundland
and Labrador. Earl extended the invitation to me personally and I am
very pleased that he did so.
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It is always a pleasure for
me to visit the beautiful province of British Columbia. I have two
daughters and a son who reside in this area so I spend a lot of time
visiting this beautiful part of our country.
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This organization is
certainly an important one on the national stage in addressing the
issues and concerns currently facing the fish harvesting sector.
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You are also an important
organization in generating and discussing ideas that could represent
solutions for the many challenges facing this sector that is so critical
to many coastal communities in our country. So it is also a pleasure for
me to be here and participate in such important deliberations.
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Let me also take this
opportunity to say to the organizers of this event that you have done a
tremendous job. I know a lot of behind the scenes work goes into
organizing an event such as this one and you have done it in fine style.
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I would also welcome the
many participants who have come from across Canada to these meetings
that are so important to the Canadian fish harvesting sector. Having
flown from the other end of the country myself, I particularly commend
those who have traveled a long distance to attend this conference.
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This is my first address to
a national organization since returning to the fisheries portfolio that
I first held two decades ago.
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A lot has changed in the
fishery since the mid 1980s when I first served in this Cabinet
position. In twenty years from now, it will no doubt be a different
fishery again.
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In Newfoundland and
Labrador, the fishery has been the backbone of our economy for over 500
years. Our province started out as a fishing settlement, and we have
built our provincial economy around this industry.
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During that time, we have
experienced all the highs and the lows that the fishery has to offer.
The ultimate low of course, was the cod moratorium that was introduced
in 1992.
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Of course, the changes that
are occurring in the fishery are not unique to Newfoundland and
Labrador.
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One of the key changes in
the industry since I last held this portfolio has been the opening up of
international markets through increasing free trade.
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While there are differences
between the fisheries of the various provinces represented in the
Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters, there is no denying
that the fishery is now a global industry. As such, we are all operating
within the same international market and we are all influenced by the
characteristics of that marketplace.
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Consequently, the Canadian
fishing industry is united in that we must all be prepared to compete
globally and we must all be prepared for the challenges that this brings
with it.
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The fishery makes a
tremendous contribution to local and provincial economies in this
country. Furthermore, this industry is particularly important to rural
economies.
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No where is this more clear
than in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the fishery is the major
industry in many of our rural communities. In our province, the future
of many communities often rests with the future of this industry. For
this reason, our government is keenly aware that the challenges faces
the must be addressed and they must be addressed now.
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In many ways, the fishery is
an industry that is fighting the tide of urbanization as rural
communities struggle to stay alive.
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Yet, the phenomenon of
urbanization is not unique to one province or even Canada as a whole.
Indeed, it is a global phenomenon, making it all the more challenging to
preserve the industry that has preserved so many coastal communities for
hundreds of years.
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Rural and coastal
communities nationwide depend heavily on the fishing industry.
Provincial and even our national economies rely heavily on the success
of these rural communities.
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That is why the fishing
industry needs to be a top priority for governments and certainly the
fishery is a top priority for the Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador. Premier Williams made this very clear in his letter to the
three federal party leaders prior to the recent election. Furthermore,
he has identified the fishery as the top priority for our government in
the coming year.
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Clearly, the fishery is also
the top priority for your organization, with your mission to ensure that
fish harvesters have appropriate knowledge, skills and commitment to
meet the human resource needs of the Canadian fishery into the future.
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I know one particular
objective of your organization is to provide leadership for the
development of a program of professionalization for fish harvesters.
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The Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador has certainly supported this objective. We
continue to support professionalization as a long-term approach to
increased self-reliance among fish harvesters. We also support it as a
means to build the skills and knowledge necessary for safe participation
in the fishery, as well as conservation and co-management of fisheries
resources.
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Our government believes that
professionalization is the key to strengthening the fish harvesting
sector, for the benefit of the fishery as a whole.
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Tremendous success has been
achieved in this area. Since returning to the fisheries portfolio this
past November, I can certainly see the difference that efforts to
professionalize the industry have made over the past two decades.
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Unfortunately, there are
many stereotypes of the fishery. In Newfoundland and Labrador, many
people historically saw the fishery as the employer of last resort.
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However, it is becoming more
evident that people are now letting go of these views of the industry.
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In reality, the modern
fishery is one that requires a very high level of education and
training. It relies heavily on technology and a high level of business
skills are required to participate in this modern industry.
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No where have we seen this
more than in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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In 2005, there were
approximately 13,400 certified professional fish harvesters in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Of these, 35% are registered
Apprentice Harvesters, 7% are Level One Harvesters and 58% are Level Two
Harvesters.
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Our province passed the
Newfoundland and Labrador Professional Fish Harvesters Act in 1996. This
Act was the first in the country to support professionalization of the
industry.
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Our province�s Professional
Fish Harvesters Certification Board has been engaged in special training
procedures for fish harvesters. In fact, beginning this winter, the
board will be offering special training to Level I and Level II
harvesters in order to fulfill their Transport Canada Marine Emergency
Duties regulatory requirement.
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Our government also supports
a Fisheries Stewardship Program in Placentia Bay, at one of the largest
fishing centers in our province.
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This pilot project of the
FFAW, DFO, the Professional Fish Harvesters Certification Board and my
department, was designed to increase awareness of harvesters and
communities with respect to sustainability and stewardship, to promote
and practice these concepts in today�s fishery and in the rebuilding of
the fishery and communities that depend on it.
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Should this project be
successful, a province-wide initiative will be proposed for later this
year. This will make a tremendous contribution to the province�s
professionalization initiatives.
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As our government moves into
the future, we will continue to support professionalization initiatives
throughout the industry.
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Professionalization in
Newfoundland and Labrador has been successful because the industry,
government and the union worked together for the benefit of everyone.
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I will now take a few
moments to discuss some of the key issues that our government views as
the priority issues facing professional fish harvesters.
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Our government believes the
inshore fish harvesting sector must remain independent. We continue to
support the Fleet Separation Policy and the Owner-Operator policy. We
agree that measures are necessary to strengthen them.
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These policies remain the
basis for the continuation of a harvesting sector, which is controlled
by fish harvesters.
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We are prepared to join with
industry in pursuing DFO to adopt suitable measures to uphold and fully
enforce these policies, to remove some existing impediments to fleet
rationalization such as taxation issues and trust agreements. We know
that this will be important for the health of the industry in the
future.
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Our government is aware that
trust agreements have undermined the spirit and intent of Fleet
Separation Policy. Currently, harvesters who enter into trust agreements
can lose control of their licenses.
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Our government is pleased to
see that DFO is currently developing a plan to preserve the independence
of the inshore fleet by addressing such issues as trust agreements and
taxation restrictions.
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I reiterate again that the
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is prepared to work with
industry and the federal government to have these issues addressed.
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Another priority for our
government is fishing vessel safety. Obviously, safety must be
everyone�s top priority and our government is very concerned with safety
on fishing vessels.
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We must all do what we can
to eliminate the tragedies involved with the loss of vessels at sea. In
Newfoundland and Labrador, this is a tragedy that we know well. As a
province with a history so strongly intertwined with the fishery, many
Newfoundland and Labrador families know the tragedy of losing a loved
one at sea.
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We believe the current �less
than 65 feet� length restriction for inshore vessels should be fully
examined to determine if it indeed plays a role in vessel safety.
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While the establishment and
enforcement of safety regulations is beyond the jurisdiction of any
provincial government, it is incumbent upon us all to work together to
promote a culture of safety in the industry.
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Today, many inshore vessels
are fishing further from land for longer periods of time and fishermen
should have the ability to use vessels which minimize their risk. In
some cases, vessels larger than 65 feet in length could provide
additional crew accommodations, which would increase safety measures.
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Truly, increased vessel
safety is an issue that is near and dear to the hearts of every family
that participates in the fishery, and for good reason.
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Finally, I would like to
take a moment to address an issue that is of critical importance to the
fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Issues of retirement and the
industry�s ability to maintain and acquire the necessary human resources
for proper management of the fishery are of concern to the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
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We must keep fish harvesting
operations viable in an environment characterized by resource declines,
increasing competition, overcapacity and overcapitalization.
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Our government is
particularly concerned with the issue of early retirement, as it is one
of the solutions that can assist in addressing these issues.
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We recognize that an early
retirement plan for fish harvesters and plant workers is vital in the
rationalization of our province�s fishing industry and we plan to
actively address this matter with the new federal Minister of Fisheries
and Oceans.
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In closing, I would like to
say that no matter where we live, we all have the responsibility to
preserve the fishery for future generations. It is a renewable resource
that we all have the privilege to benefit from. We must ensure this
continues to be the case.
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Again, thank you for the
kind invitation to be here. Congratulations on another successful
conference and I wish you all the best in coming year.
