The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has requested that the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council (FRCC) develop a long-term strategic approach to the sustainability of the Atlantic Groundfish fisheries and the conservation of the resource.
During the months of April and early May, the FRCC will hold public consultations to gather information and input from stakeholders. These sessions will give all participants an opportunity to voice their views about groundfish fisheries and provide views on the long-term sustainable use of the resource.
The Council will be taking a long-term view of fisheries sustainability and will not be recommending on access or short-term allocation issues. The Council does not intend to interfere with ongoing local initiatives to improve sustainability of the fisheries and conservation of the resource and encourages stakeholders to pursue such work in their respective areas. Where possible, stakeholders are invited to provide readily available background material pertinent to the sustainability of the fishery.
Stakeholders planning on making a presentation to the Council at one of the upcoming meetings are asked to inform the FRCC Secretariat at least one week in advance of the consultation. This will ensure that sufficient time is allocated for all presentations. In order to avoid duplication, participants are asked to offer the presentation at only one location. All briefs and presentations will be posted on the FRCC website.
The public is also encouraged to take part in these meetings and advise the Council on issues that will have a long-term impact on the resource and the fishery. Written briefs can be mailed to the FRCC at P.O. Box 2001, Station D, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5W3, fax (613) 998-1146, or sent to info@frcc-ccrh.ca.
