In the midst of ongoing protests outside of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in St. John’s Friday, several DFO staff briefed reporters on fisheries science and the approach to resource management.
Regional director responsible for fisheries management points to co-operative approach
In the midst of ongoing protests outside of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in St. John’s Friday, several DFO staff briefed reporters on fisheries science and the approach to resource management.
At the Canadian Coast Guard building on Southside Road, they walked through an overview of ongoing scientific study and management work specific to Newfoundland and Labrador. The presentations spoke to the extent and effect of ecosystem changes, including the recent and painful quota cuts to both northern shrimp and crab.
A biomathematician and employee for more than 30 years with DFO, Dr. Pierre Pepin spoke to the department’s seasonal ocean climate monitoring and trawl surveys, among other work.
He said the science being conducted in the region is robust, and the reports and advice coming from DFO scientists can be trusted as a fundamental source of information.
“The work that my colleagues have done is sound and it’s based on good data, and the data that we have may not be perfect, but I would like to hear somebody come and give us an alternate approach that would provide us with more robust and higher-accuracy information. And we don’t get that,” he said, when asked about statements challenging DFO’S assessments.
Jacqueline Perry is regional director for fisheries management in Newfoundland and Labrador. She said fish harvesters may not always feel like it, but they are an essential part of her work, from start to finish.
Information provided ahead of decisions on everything from quotas to fishery opening dates, as well as post-season review meetings are factored into decision making.
She said she understands the difficulty of the current situation with the significant cuts to both northern shrimp and crab. “It’s understandable that we’re getting anger, we’re getting frustration, we’re getting fear expressed in the reaction that we’re hearing over the last couple of weeks. These are families, with houses, kids in hockey,” she said.
“We do understand the reason why we’re getting that kind of reaction, but this is difficult stuff and we are doing the very, very best that we can with the information that our science colleagues are able to provide to us, with the input of industry.”