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Food for thought ... NAFO ...
2009-09-20
The Government of Canada is now contemplating an amendment to the North Atlantic Fishery Organization (NAFO) Regulations which would allow the countries of the European Union to take an active role in the management of the Fishery not only outside the 200 mile limit off our coast but also take an active part in the management of the resource inside the 200 mile limit. The E.U.’s fisheries policy has long been notorious for its destructiveness, epitomized by the practice of either mandating or encouraging the throwing back of dead fish, fish that are not big enough, fish that are not valuable enough, or fish that are just the wrong species. It is a main reason that Iceland and Norway, two countries serious about the sea and responsibly protecting its fishery resources, have not joined the club.
Just over a year ago the E.U.’s own Court of Auditors drew attention to some of the reasons their own policies are so disastrous. The extent of cheating (by fishermen) and lying (often by national governments) was so great that no one really knew the size of the total catch. There was no way to make informed judgments of the state of their stocks because of the blanket cheating by the captains, companies and government officials involved.
The Member countries of the E.U. themselves were meant to police the system, but offenders were seldom caught and those who were usually received little or no punishment. Few if any of their member countries came out untouched by the allegations of wrong-doing.
Off the record, officials described Poland as “bad”, Italy “really bad”, Spain notorious for hiding fish and using illegal nets, Scotland not much better. No wonder the E.U.’s stocks are 88% over fished, as the European Commission itself now admits.
Is it any wonder that they want to get their fingers involved in the management of our fishery?
Is this the type of people that we want to have managing the Fishery outside and inside the 200 mile limit?
Campaigning in Newfoundland in December of 2005, Mr. Harper promised that, if elected, his government would extend Canada's control of offshore fish stocks within five years and give provinces a bigger role in managing the fishery. joint management he called it. A partnership in ensuring the future viability of the fishery for generations to come. What a crock!
The Newfoundland Labrador First party advocates provincial control of our resources. just as other provinces have with their resources. Why treat us any less?? We are equal partners in this confederation are we not?
This is just one more example of another promise that Mr. Harper seems to have either forgotten or just simply lied about.
Which of those options is correct doesn't matter, the point is that he again is giving this province and the hard working people that live here, the shaft.
NL First advocates that Newfoundland and Labrador be given complete control of the management of the fishery inside the 200 mile limit, period. We also advocate an extension of that Limit to include the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, the very important spawning grounds for most of the relevant species of our Resource.
Look at it this way Mr. Harper, in 1949 Newfoundland and Labrador brought the resources of her waters into Confederation with Canada.
55 years later you promised to give those rights to govern back to her ... It is time you did the right thing ... give the full managing rights to the resource back to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador ... not some union of foreign countries that are notorious for ravaging the resource into oblivion.
NL First advocates that you do not have the right to give away the governing and managing responsibilities of the Fishery Resources.
We gave up that right to the country of Canada in 1949, and now that it is so clear that you wish to give those management rights away,
NL First maintains, no we demand, that you give them back to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and her People.
Darryl