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NLIS 3
April 6, 2005
(Fisheries and Aquaculture)

 

Lesson of fish stocks� collapse is that industrial capacity must be constrained

Newfoundland and Labrador�s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture has a word of caution for the world�s seafood industry: fish stocks can only regenerate and be a sustainable resource if economic exploitation is held in check. The minister delivered the message in his keynote address at the Seafood 2010 Waves of Change conference in Halifax today.

"Canada and the world must learn lessons from the mismanagement that led to the collapse of the groundfish stocks off Newfoundland and Labrador," says Trevor Taylor. "Fish stocks were devastated because of local economic pressures, national mismanagement, and a lack of international action on overfishing. These species cannot return if industrial infrastructure and economic expectations greatly exceed stock capacity. It�s time to admit that our entire economic and management systems were just plain wrong."

The minister pointed out that Newfoundland and Labrador has learned hard lessons and has been taking strong action to renew its fish processing policies. "The fishing industry is changing around the globe. We in Atlantic Canada must change with it, or be left behind," says Minister Taylor. "The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been developing new policies, changing legislation, and implementing new regulations on the road to creating a fishery for the twenty-first century. Our aim is to build a competitive industry that is sustainable and which provides long-term meaningful employment for the people of our province. We simply cannot afford to have only a short-term outlook.

"Economic pressures can permanently squeeze the life out of fish stocks. We must learn to promote conservation and its long-term benefits. Industrial capacity must be in balance with the resource. Otherwise, not only will seafood workers experience low incomes, but other fish species will face devastation once the primary species are wiped out."

The Seafood 2010 Conference is discussing the future of the seafood industry in Atlantic Canada. Participants are from Canada, the USA, Norway, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Chile. The conference concludes today.

An international conference on overfishing, titled Moving From Words to Action, will be held in St. John�s from May 1 to 5, 2005.

Media contact: Alex Marland, Communications, (709) 729-3733, 690-6047

2005 04 06                  12:30 p.m.


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