Yarmouth MLA Zach Churchill and the Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus are calling for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to appear before an emergency meeting of the province’s Resource Committee to discuss concerns raised by fishing groups about potential changes in Nova Scotia’s fishing industries.
“This is a serious matter for Yarmouth and our entire province,” said Churchill. “Any potential alterations to our lucrative and important fishing industries are alarming. Independent operators in our province are concerned that large corporations may overwhelm our fishing sectors, which could reduce economic development and completely change a way of life for many Nova Scotians.”
Recently, a review paper on modernization was released by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The paper was broad in scope but did not consider or discuss policies with respect to owner-operator or fleet separation. The omission has left many independent operations in
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Nova Scotia with a level of concern and apprehension over the federal government’s intentions towards these policies.
“We fully support the policies in place for owner-operator and fleet separation” said Churchill. “We know that these policies are vital to coastal communities like ours and our province as a whole. The federal department must appear before the committee to explain what is transpiring with respect to these policies.
“Nova Scotia has one of the finest fisheries in the world - it’s the backbone of our economy here in Yarmouth,” added Churchill. “We believe it is paramount that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans appear in front of the committee.”
