Fishermen in our region are giving a thumbs-up to Tuesday’s announcement by the federal fisheries minister.
Dominic LeBlanc says changes, introduced in the House of Commons, restore the protection of fish stocks by implementing increased protections for fish stocks and habitat.
But LeBlanc also made good on a promise to further enforce the PIIFCAF policy.
It was put in place to keep licences in the hands of individual fishermen to preserve the independence of the inshore fisheries, thereby protecting coastal communities.”
Graeme Gawn, who served as president of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union Local 9 for three years, was very pleased with what the minister had to say.
“Contained in the amendments to the Fisheries Act are protections the fleet separation and owner operator policies, increasing the enforcement of the PIIFCAF policies. It’s not passed into law yet, but I’ll certainly be working to ensure that happens.”
Here’s a link to learn more about PIICAF: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/initiatives/piifcaf-pifpcca/declaration-e…
Gawn says they know the corporate sector will fight very hard to maintain controlling agreements, which transfer control of licences to a third party, which are often based overseas.
“They’ve kept silent and lobbied behind the scenes to stop his from being introduced. They’ve tried to divide fishermen by spreading false information, misleading information throughout the media in the last few months. But the fact is that the majority of Canadians , not just fishermen, believe in the protection of the inshore fisheries and coastal communities that rely on the industry.”
