November 30, 1998
(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:

As my Honourable colleagues know 1998 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year the Ocean, and a number of major conferences have been held to discuss the challenges of marine resource management. In fact, right now the premier is in Halifax addressing the conference of the International Oceans Institute. The experience of Newfoundland and Labrador makes us uniquely suited to comment on the topic. Perhaps no where else in this country has the ocean and its resources been so vitally linked to a way of life, our culture and our history.

While we remember with sadness the fishery of days gone by, we must also remember how we got to this point. Domestic mismanagement and foreign overfishing caused the demise of our groundfish stocks, and these are issues which must be addressed to ensure that the fishery of the future remains viable and productive.

It is therefore fitting, that we once again call upon the Government of Canada to do its duty and ratify the 1995 United Nations Agreement on High Seas Fisheries - or UNFA, as it is called. This convention is necessary for sustainable management of highly migratory and straddling fish stocks, and when enacted as international law will prevent foreign nations from ever again fishing out of control off this province's coast.

It was three years ago this week that UNFA was opened for ratification. To date, only 18 of the 30 nations required have ratified the agreement, and I am saddened to say that Canada cannot count itself as one of those 18 nations. It is essential that Canada return to its leadership role on international fisheries issues and begin by ratifying UNFA quickly, and then to press other nations of the world to do the same.

The fishing industry of Newfoundland and Labrador is beginning to recover from the devastating blow it was struck. Today the fishery is diversified as never before, with more than 40 species of fish - from rock crab to herring to sea urchins - being processed in communities and plants, which only a few years ago, depended exclusively on groundfish. This year fish exports will reach more than $600 million, a record since before the moratorium began in 1992. Our industry is vibrant and strong. But it also needs the commitment of the nations of the world to ensure that it has a bright future. That commitment should be demonstrated by ratification on UNFA. Then we can continue to rebuild our domestic fisheries in a sustainable and responsible manner, under the protection of international law.

1998 11 30                       2:15 p.m.