SHEDIAC,
NB, Aug. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Uncertainty on
the future of the commercial fishery will potentially put the
sustainability of the lobster catch and jobs at risk according to
the leaders of the Coalition of Atlantic and Quebec Fishing
Organizations and the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance
(UFCA).
The upcoming meeting of fisheries ministers from across
Canada is a unique opportunity to
make sure the commercial fishery remains sustainable. Action is
needed from both federal and provincial officials.
For the Government of Canada,
keeping independent enforcement officers on the water is critical
to making sure no one fishes out of season.
"Enforcing one set of rules for everyone is the key to a strong
fishery. Impartial, independent enforcement officers at Department
of Fisheries and Oceans is at the heart of a sustainable fishery,"
according to Gordon Beaton,
president of the Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board. "We are
concerned about potential changes to enforcement, we need more, not
less, independent enforcement of the rules."
Science, not politics, should be driving decisions on the
fishery.
"Decisions on the fishery need to be fundamentally driven by
science and the conservation of the commercial fishery stock. All
efforts to fish must happen within established fishing seasons with
direct oversight by the Government of Canada," said Colin
Sproul, president of the UFCA.
In addition to the Government of Canada, provincial governments play a key role
in fighting illegal fishing.
"It's time provincial governments step-up to slap significant
fines or take away buying and processing licenses to those that buy
illegal lobsters," says Bobby
Jenkins, president of PEIFA. "It's not enough to focus on
those illegally fishing – any organization that processes illegally
caught fish out of season needs to face serious consequences."
Leaders of the Coalition of Atlantic and Quebec Fishing
Organizations and the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance are
calling for enforcement on land and water to preserve the
sustainability of the fishery for everyone and to protect jobs in
the region.
ABOUT THE COALITION OF ATLANTIC AND QUÉBEC FISHING
ORGANIZATIONS
We are a movement
of fishermen committed to a sustainable, healthy fishery and reconciliation
with Indigenous Peoples.
- Gulf Nova Scotia Fleet Planning Board (GNSFPB)
- Maritime Fishermen's Union (MFU)
- PEI Fishermen's Association (PEIFA)
- Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la
Gaspésie (RPPSG)
ABOUT THE UNIFIED FISHERIES CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFCA) is an
alliance of commercial fishery stakeholders calling on the
Government of Canada to establish
clear, lasting, responsible, regulatory oversight for all fisheries
– commercial, food, social, and ceremonial.
Established in November 2020,
the UFCA represents thousands of independent, multi-species
commercial fishermen, and fishery associations from across the
Maritimes. Our membership also includes small to medium sized
businesses that are directly or indirectly tied to the Atlantic
Canadian commercial fishery.
SOURCE Coalition of Atlantic and Quebec Fishing
Organizations