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November 25, 1997
(Fisheries and Aquaculture)


The following statement was issued today by John Efford, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I would like to advise the Honourable House that a very important international conference is being held in St. John's over the next several days on sealing.

This conference, which is being hosted by the province, is being held under the auspices of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) and is being attended by approximately 250 delegates. Representatives from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and a number of other countries and regions will be attending.

This conference is being held at a critical period in the revitalization of our sealing industry. The conference clearly demonstrates the commitment of this province, the federal government and other countries to a sustainable seal harvest.

Several representatives of the IFAW will be in attendance at the conference. This group has made a public statement implying that this conference should not have been held on Canadian soil. I want to advise this Honourable House that the IFAW will stoop to no end to discredit the sealing industry. They have been given the opportunity to observe and participate in the conference and yet having registered are now saying that the Government of Canada should distance itself from NAMMCO.

We are proud hosts of the NAMMCO Conference on sealing. The IFAW, for its part, will not undermine our efforts to revitalize the sealing industry. Indeed, the transparency of the NAMMCO conference clearly demonstrates our commitment to develop the industry. The seal industry does not belong in the past but will become a critical component of our rural economy in the years ahead. From this perspective, the IFAW should now turn its attention to more serious concerns such as the concern over communities devastated by the groundfish collapse.

1997 11 25 4:25 p.m.

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