Prince Edward Island Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Allan Campbell said he is looking forward to reviewing recommendations from the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council on the Atlantic lobster fishery. The report, released today in Moncton, makes more than 30 major recommendation on the management of the resource.
“The Fisheries Resource Conservation Council has conducted an in-depth examination of the state of the lobster resource throughout Atlantic Canada, and I will be reviewing its recommendations in detail,” said Mr. Campbell. “The lobster fishery in this province has a landed value in excess of $110 million and accounts for more than 65 percent of the total landed value of the fishery, so the sustainable management of this vital resource is of utmost priority.”
Mr. Campbell said the lobster fishery in Prince Edward Island differs in many respects from other lobster fishing areas around the Atlantic region, and he will be reviewing in particular those recommendations that affect the current management of the resource in this province. “Prince Edward Island fishers, including myself, had an opportunity to meet with the FRCC last year during the course of its consultations in this province, and I am hopeful that our ideas are reflected in the report,” he said. “Those recommendations that relate to the lobster fishery in this province must be reviewed carefully.”
Mr. Campbell said he is encouraging fishers in the province to review the report in detail. “I look forward to discussing this report with the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association and its lobster advisory board, along with my colleagues in the region and with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans,” he said. “This is the first major report on the state of the lobster fishery in the region since 1995, and its recommendations must be examined in detail before any management decisions are made.”
Mr. Campbell said he will be meeting Fisheries and Oceans Minister Loyola Hearn in the near future to discuss the report and other issues.