The owner of Inshore Fisheries Ltd. in West Pubnico, Claude d’Entremont offers input while Wood Harbour fisherman, Sandy Stoddard listens closely behind him March 6 at the NDP fisheries session in Shelburne. Mark Roberts Photo
THE COAST GUARD NovaNewsNow.com Shelburne Co. fishermen, as they are elsewhere in the province are worried their licenses will be worthless if the federal government’s proposed new Fisheries Act (Bill C-45) is passed.
Fishermen, and other stakeholders, spoke March 6 at a Shelburne information gathering session hosted by the provincial New Democratic Party. About a dozen showed up. Shelburne Co. MLA, Sterling Belliveau, who is the party’s fisheries critic, led the session. “They want to know it’s (license) a nest egg and they want to pass it on.” South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy said the wording for the license aspect of the Bill is basically unchanged from the present act; therefore, licenses will retain their value, he said. (See Keddy article and letter.) The owner of Inshore Fisheries Ltd. in West Pubnico, Claude d’Entremont agreed. Fishermen also stated at the NDP meeting the federal government should take as much time as necessary to directly consult fishermen and ensure the Act is written correctly. Woods Harbour fisherman, Sandy Stoddard said the Act has been in place for 139 years. He said another six months or even two or three years won’t matter if it means getting it right. Also attending was NDP leader Darrell Dexter, federal NDP candidate Gordon Earle and Pictou West MLA Charlie Parker. The party is holding meetings across the province for an upcoming discussion paper that will be used to make recommendations to both the federal and provincial government. Belliveau said another huge concern is the wording of Bill C-45 is “open for interpretation. People want to be reassured.” Dexter said Belliveau initiated the public process because he is concerned coastal communities, in general, are not thriving, and that a sustainable fishing industry that includes related manufacturing jobs could play an essential role in maintaining these communities. He said the NDP meetings are being held not just to discuss the Fisheries Act but also to ascertain, “ideas and ways to support the industry and make improvements when that is possible.” He also criticized the Act’s consultation process, which was either non-existent in his opinion or fishermen and fishermen’s groups didn’t know a new Act was coming during past discussions. Other concerns involved financing license and boat and gear transfers, especially from parent to son or daughter, and the resulting taxes that must be paid. One fisherman said he has to mortgage his house to help his son. He added most fishermen from the baby boomer generation are preparing to retire and many don’t have the ability to help their children. Belliveau said he has entered legislation through Bill 27 to deal with access to financing but doesn’t know if it will pass. The other choice, the fisherman said is to sell licenses to large corporations. This led to criticisms that some of these corporations often process fish elsewhere in the world, where labour is cheap, instead of benefiting communities near the harvest site. d’Entremont said with groundfish, all sizes of businesses are needed from the owner-operator to small and large processors. He said the lobster fishery is different. He added all sectors should cooperate. Conservation methods were debated, as was Canada’s refusal to sign onto an international agreement to stop bottom trawling. Other topics included the timing and cost of education programs, the make-up of a proposed tribunal that would hand out penalties for infractions, the growing seal population, and the increasing numbers of regulations, including those involved with stability regulations. Wilfred Smith, a Port LaTour fisherman and co-chair of LFA 33 added the average fisherman is more worried about surviving than politics. “Everything depends on the lobster fishing; that could go just as quickly as the groundfishery.”
Fishermen, and other stakeholders, spoke March 6 at a Shelburne information gathering session hosted by the provincial New Democratic Party. About a dozen showed up. Shelburne Co. MLA, Sterling Belliveau, who is the party’s fisheries critic, led the session. “They want to know it’s (license) a nest egg and they want to pass it on.” South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy said the wording for the license aspect of the Bill is basically unchanged from the present act; therefore, licenses will retain their value, he said. (See Keddy article and letter.) The owner of Inshore Fisheries Ltd. in West Pubnico, Claude d’Entremont agreed. Fishermen also stated at the NDP meeting the federal government should take as much time as necessary to directly consult fishermen and ensure the Act is written correctly. Woods Harbour fisherman, Sandy Stoddard said the Act has been in place for 139 years. He said another six months or even two or three years won’t matter if it means getting it right. Also attending was NDP leader Darrell Dexter, federal NDP candidate Gordon Earle and Pictou West MLA Charlie Parker. The party is holding meetings across the province for an upcoming discussion paper that will be used to make recommendations to both the federal and provincial government. Belliveau said another huge concern is the wording of Bill C-45 is “open for interpretation. People want to be reassured.” Dexter said Belliveau initiated the public process because he is concerned coastal communities, in general, are not thriving, and that a sustainable fishing industry that includes related manufacturing jobs could play an essential role in maintaining these communities. He said the NDP meetings are being held not just to discuss the Fisheries Act but also to ascertain, “ideas and ways to support the industry and make improvements when that is possible.” He also criticized the Act’s consultation process, which was either non-existent in his opinion or fishermen and fishermen’s groups didn’t know a new Act was coming during past discussions. Other concerns involved financing license and boat and gear transfers, especially from parent to son or daughter, and the resulting taxes that must be paid. One fisherman said he has to mortgage his house to help his son. He added most fishermen from the baby boomer generation are preparing to retire and many don’t have the ability to help their children. Belliveau said he has entered legislation through Bill 27 to deal with access to financing but doesn’t know if it will pass. The other choice, the fisherman said is to sell licenses to large corporations. This led to criticisms that some of these corporations often process fish elsewhere in the world, where labour is cheap, instead of benefiting communities near the harvest site. d’Entremont said with groundfish, all sizes of businesses are needed from the owner-operator to small and large processors. He said the lobster fishery is different. He added all sectors should cooperate. Conservation methods were debated, as was Canada’s refusal to sign onto an international agreement to stop bottom trawling. Other topics included the timing and cost of education programs, the make-up of a proposed tribunal that would hand out penalties for infractions, the growing seal population, and the increasing numbers of regulations, including those involved with stability regulations. Wilfred Smith, a Port LaTour fisherman and co-chair of LFA 33 added the average fisherman is more worried about surviving than politics. “Everything depends on the lobster fishing; that could go just as quickly as the groundfishery.”
This article was taken from a newspaper "The Coast Guard" that is for local news in my home town and surrounding areas. Fishing is a huge industry there as it has been for hundreds of years due to living on the coast line. Shelburne actually has one of the largest natural harbours in the world.
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