Minister listens
It’s not often that fishermen, environmentalists and processors sing from the same industry song sheet but the early chorus seems very supportive of amendments to the Fisheries Act tabled in the Commons this week. Today, federal fisheries minister Dominic LeBlanc is the toast of the town — quite a change from just a few weeks ago when inshore fishermen and processors were preparing for the worst.
It was Minister LeBlanc who had fuelled fears that pending amendments might have a dramatic, negative impact on inshore fishermen. In a speech last summer, he suggested that farreaching changes to licensing rules were being considered, and questioned policies that offer “near-indefinite access to the fishery by virtue of automatic (licence) renewal.”
In wide-ranging amendments to the act, the minister effectively addressed concerns about environment, habitat, stocks and licences — and seems to have found the right balance.
Moves by the former Harper government to ease protections of stocks and habitat have been repealed. And Ottawa is providing almost $300 million to restore those protections, plus include new ones. Increased federal funding includes hiring new fisheries officers, which addresses fishermen’s concerns that fewer inspectors and weaker enforcement posed a threat to the future of the industry.
In addition to the economic value of the industry, Ottawa is recognizing that fishing is culturally and socially important to Canada’s coastal communities. Without a strong and vibrant inshore fishery, their future is at risk. It’s a recognition that is long overdue.
The amendments confirm the primacy of the fleet separation policy which ensures corporations cannot both be harvester and processor. The new rules support inshore licence holders and make sure only a licence holder can use the permit.
Environmental changes were hailed by the federal Green Party, which backed the bill’s emphasis on science and protection of fish habitats, leading toward a sustainable way of managing the fishery.
Atlantic fishermen were also quick in their applause. A P.E.I. spokesman said inshore fishermen are strong supporters of owner-operator and fleet separation policies which will soon be entrenched in federal legislation. A Cape Breton spokesman said the amendments will support Atlantic Canada — allowing fishermen to operate their own fishing enterprises, employ local crew members and provide wealth back to the coastal communities where they live and work.
Brett Favaro, a research scientist at Memorial University in St. John’s, said the new legislation was long overdue and sees the inclusion of a public registry of department decisions as a big win for transparency.
The legislation gives government the power to introduce regulations to help rebuild depleted fish stocks or intervene quickly to protect those seen in peril — and hopefully avoid another fish species collapse, such as the catastrophic demise of the northern cod some 25 years ago.
Minister LeBlanc fulfilled a promise to make the law better and more effective. Fishermen and industry stakeholders deserve credit for their effective lobbying and arguments.
For a change, the minister and his department listened.