A buy-out of lobster licences in the Northumberland Strait and the impact of aquatic invasive species on aquaculture were among the key issues Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Allan Campbell raised in a private meeting with his federal counterpart Thursday.
The meeting in Charlottetown marked the first time Minister Campbell met in person with Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn. Minister Campbell says he left the meeting with a sense the federal minister is committed to work on the issues facing the Prince Edward Island fishing and aquaculture sectors.
“We had a good opportunity to get to know each other and begin discussions on a number of matters of concern to Island fishers,” said Minister Campbell. “A satisfactory outcome to issues such as the herring exclusion line, the Island’s halibut and northern shrimp quota, and funding to address aquatic invasive species are of critical importance to the Island industry and my department. Any opportunity to present Prince Edward Island’s position to the federal minister is positive.”
One of the key topics the ministers discussed was the decline in lobster landings in the Northumberland Strait over the last two decades. A buy-out or licence retirement program is seen by many in the industry as one possible solution.
“I was given assurance by the federal minister that he has not ruled out a buy-out of lobster licences in the Northumberland Strait,” said Minister Campbell. “However he wants the Northumberland Strait Working Groups to complete their work, present the reports to ministers and he will sit down and discuss the reports with the provinces and the industry.”
Discussions on the Island aquaculture industry centred on the impacts of aquatic invasive species. Minister Campbell said he stressed that investment in Prince Edward Island to develop the science and technology to manage invasive species will benefit other provinces that face this problem in the future.
In other topics discussed at Thursday’s meeting, the federal minister committed for his department to provide a briefing session to Minister Campbell on Bill C-45, the proposed new federal Fisheries Act, and to discuss the recommendations of the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (FRCC) report on the lobster fishery.
Minister Campbell said he and Minister Hearn agreed to the importance of ongoing dialogue to address issues. Prince Edward Island’s fisheries and aquaculture industry employs 9,000 Islanders and contributes approximately $350 million to the economy.