Minister to Meet with Federal Counterpart

The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, will meet with the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, on Saturday, June 12. Minister Shea will be visiting the province to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Fur Institute of Canada.

"I am glad that Minister Shea will be in the province, given the most recent issues with seal herd populations," said Minister Jackman. "I had previously asked for meetings with the minister on several issues of importance in relation to federal fisheries policies. These are issues that will affect the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador over the long-term."

One of the issues to be addressed is federal quota allocations for the 2010 fishing season. Recent quota cuts were particularly problematic for the Northern Peninsula, an area which has been strongly impacted by the low price for lobster and the recent decline in lumpfish landings.

Ministers Jackman and Shea will also discuss issues in the provincial lobster fishery. In January of this year, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers presented a proposal to the Federal Government under the Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Measures Program. The Provincial Government has not yet heard the federal response to the proposal.

Minister Jackman will also provide the federal minister with an update on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) process. It is expected that there will be significant development in the MOU process over approximately the next month. The Provincial Government will bring proposals resulting from the MOU process forward to the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans in the coming months.

"The fishing industry continues to be a priority for our government," said Minister Jackman. "We will continue to press the Federal Government to address our issues and concerns in a timely and effective manner."

- 30 -

Media contact:
Lori Lee Oates
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 690-8403
oatesll@gov.nl.ca