For NoRigs 3, which had recently asked the Nova Scotia government to implement a permanent ban on oil drilling and exploration on Georges Bank, comments made by the premier on Sept. 9 come as good news.
The NoRigs 3 Coalition of fishermen, fishing groups, environmentalists and Aboriginal groups is applauding the Nova Scotia government for statements made by Premier Darrell Dexter, who said the government plans to introduce legislation in the fall session to significantly strengthen the protections on the fishing grounds and fragile ecosystem of Georges Bank.
Dexter is reported to be considering a permanent ban on oil and gas exploration on Georges Bank, which is home to lobster, herring, haddock and groundfish, worth hundreds of millions a year. Dexter noted that Georges Bank has provided a livelihood for Nova Scotia fishermen for centuries.
A gas and oil exploration and drilling ban on Georges Bank was set to expire in 2012. In the spring the provincial government extended the ban to 2015. The premier told the media that the legislation he is looking to introduce would negate the need to debate the issue of drilling on Georges Bank every few years.
The province will be discussing the issue further with the federal government.
“The Nova Scotia government is showing genuine leadership here,” says Denny Morrow, NoRigs 3 Coalition chair and one of the members who met with Dexter and cabinet officials a week earlier to press for a permanent ban. “We are certain that stakeholders in New England and members of the U.S. Congress will take careful note of this decision.”
There is a moratorium in effect on the U.S. portion of Georges Bank until 2017 although Massachusetts Congressman Edward Markey has re-introduced legislation that would place a permanent ban on drilling on the U.S. portion.
