Meetings were held today in Ottawa between Prince Edward Island Fisheries Minister Kevin MacAdam and Federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Reagan. The meetings were arranged at the request of Mr. MacAdam to discuss the upcoming gulf herring season on the north shore of the Island. The meeting dealt with Prince Edward Island’s concerns over the allocation of herring seiner quotas inside the traditional 25 fathom boundary as well as serious concerns over the prospect of New Brunswick seiners landing catches in Souris.
During the one and one half hour meeting Mr. Reagan provided clarification on last week’s press release which outlined the herring seiner management plan for 2004. Mr. Reagan confirmed that in addition to allowing 25 per cent of the herring quota to be caught between 20 and 25 fathoms an additional 15 per cent of the quota can be caught between 17 and 20 fathoms as a scientific fishery. Mr. MacAdam said that the amount of the scientific quota was not clearly spelled out in the press release and there has been no direct communication between Fisheries and Oceans and fishermen as a group to outline the plan.
Mr. MacAdam strongly stated that the overall plan is unacceptable to Prince Edward Island and also expressed the province’s ongoing frustration that there has been no evidence to explain why Fisheries and Oceans changed the historical (1983) 25 fathom boundary.
Given the high level of distrust among Island fishermen in Fisheries and Oceans science in herring and their lack of involvement in any of the science carried out to date Mr. MacAdam suggested that Island fishermen be provided with financial resources to commission their own research. He suggested that the Government of Prince Edward Island would be prepared to contribute financial resources to the research and proposed that Fisheries and Oceans Canada cost share the initiative.
Mr. Reagan agreed with the proposal and is willing to provide matching funds to conduct peer reviewed research, directed by Island fishermen, into herring stocks inside 25 fathoms. There was also agreement that the research would begin as soon as possible and would be funded through the Prince Edward Island Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Initiative.
Mr. MacAdam also expressed his serious concern over the outcome of likely confrontations that might occur on Prince Edward Island should the New Brunswick seiners attempt to land their catch in Souris. He requested that Mr. Reagan exercise the full authority or influence of his office to see that the herring is landed elsewhere. The federal minister agreed that confrontation seems likely and also expressed his concern over the possible outcomes of such confrontation. He also stated that although he does not have the authority to direct that the herring be landed at another wharf outside Prince Edward Island he would undertake to exercise the influence of his office with Government of New Brunswick and the seiner’s organization to consider landing in federal ports outside Prince Edward Island.
Both Ministers felt that the meeting was useful and agreed to continue to stay in close communication over the coming weeks.