NLIS 10
February 24, 2005
(Fisheries and Aquaculture)
Province encouraged by permanent
funding to combat overfishing
The Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador is encouraged by the federal government�s budget commitment
to combat foreign overfishing.
The intentional fishing of moratoria species by foreign vessels
remains at alarming levels in areas beyond Canada�s immediate
jurisdiction. In March 2004, the Canadian government committed $15
million to enhance its enforcement and surveillance program of fish
straddling the 200-mile limit in 2004. As announced on Wednesday,
that funding will become permanent with this year�s federal budget.
"The surveillance activities financed by this commitment are
incredibly important," says Trevor Taylor, Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture. "Rogue vessels from some member states of the European
Union continue to purposely catch fish that international bodies
have declared off-limits. When catches of moratoria species tripled
from 2002 to 2003, the federal government announced a temporary
initiative to improve its surveillance on the high seas. Indications
are that the increase in patrols by Canada is working and that
fishing of moratoria species has declined. However, the quantity of
these depleted fish stocks that are purposely harvested is still too
high.
"In November, I wrote to Minister Regan to stress the need for a
sustained funding commitment to combat foreign overfishing. I am
encouraged that the minister, and the Prime Minister, are
emphasizing the importance of Canada�s enhanced surveillance and
monitoring program outside 200 miles."
Minister Taylor has been expressing concern about fisheries
conservation and has suggested that the weakened fish stocks are a
concealed global environmental catastrophe. Premier Danny Williams
and the minister have stated the need for the Prime Minister�s
direct involvement with addressing this ecological crisis. The Prime
Minister has raised the matter with a number of heads of states and
has announced that an international "action conference" on
overfishing will be held in St. John�s in May 2005.
The issue of foreign overfishing is very serious for Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
rigorously ensures that local fish harvesters follow conservation
measures to protect depleted fish stocks, but many of these
moratoria fish swim just beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone 200-mile
limit, where they are taken in alarming numbers by foreign vessels.
Other members of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
are doing little to address this problem. Canada has a moral
obligation to demonstrate international leadership by solving
overfishing with a concrete long-term solution. It is the position
of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador that, given the
repeated failure of diplomacy, the Government of Canada must become
the custodial manager of fish stocks which straddle the 200-mile
limit.
Media contact: Alex Marland, Communications, (709) 729-3733,
690-6047
2005 02 24 2:40 p.m. |