Kevin J. MacAdam, Minister of Fisheries and Tourism, acknowledged today that the recent Supreme Court ruling on native fishing has been an important topic at regional and national Fisheries Ministers Meetings in Quebec City, however, he and other Ministers also discussed other important issues in the fishery.
"Regarding the recent Supreme Court ruling, it is in the hands of federal legal experts and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to interpret the ruling in a manner to ensure conservation and fairness to all interests," said Mr. MacAdam. "I would join with Minister Dhaliwal and others in calling for patience and restraint from all parties while these details are finalized."
Mr. MacAdam pointed out that the meetings covered a number of important topics including the Atlantic Policy Review, historical shares of shellfish, aquaculture and emerging fisheries. "I also made a strong pitch for increased financial resources for fisheries enforcement and lobster research," said the Minister.
"I pointed out to Minister Dhaliwal that improved enforcement and protection of stocks are priorities for our fishermen and that the current levels of protection by DFO are just not adequate to get the job done," said Mr. MacAdam.
The Minister stated that DFO only provides five full-time and 14 seasonal officers for a fishery in PEI that involves 6500 fishermen and aquaculturalists and is worth more than $120 million annually. "The fishing industry is seeing increased conservation and protection requirements and, at the same time, patrol boats are being de-commissioned and no new resources are being devoted to protection," said the Minister.
Regarding lobster research, Mr. MacAdam stated that he wanted to see the commitment to lobster research, made by former Fisheries and Oceans Minister Anderson in 1998, fulfilled. "When the former Minister announced carapace size increases in 1998, he committed to a major three-year program of lobster research to answer outstanding issues and monitor the effectiveness of conservation measures," said the Minister.
"I fully supported the need for lobster research to the extent that my Department launched a major lobster-at-sea sampling program in 1998, and we have received support from DFO to partner on the continued program this year," said Mr. MacAdam.
The at-sea sampling program represents only one component of the research required in a comprehensive research program. "The lobster industry accounts for about 65 percent of the landed value in PEI and, on an Atlantic basis, it accounts for an export value of three-quarters of a billion dollars, so it goes without saying that a sector of such importance must be properly managed and that requires research dollars," said the Minister.
Mr. MacAdam stated that the meetings also dealt with administrative issues including agreement on a new Terms of Reference for the Atlantic Council of Fisheries Ministers and a national agreement on Interjurisdictional Cooperation with Respect to Fisheries and Aquaculture.