Why are we still fishing capelin when it’s the main food for everything in the ocean?

In 1991, capelin was at an all time low. In 1992, the northern cod fishery was closed down; fisher people could not find any cod.

That same year, I, as chairman of the Green Bay South Regional Fisherman’s Committee, entertained a motion to the floor: now that we were getting good money from the Canadian Government (TAGS) we should recommend the closing of the capelin fishery, so that the few remaining cod left in the ocean would have food to help them recover and populate the ocean again.

Sad to say the motion did not pass, and today, the capelin stocks are at the same alltime low as they were 33 years ago, all because we didn’t stop fishing then. Our cod is still at a cautious zone and could be critical in a few years even if we stopped fishing it, all because of a lack of capelin, according to the scientists.

We have a problem in the fishery and, after 33 years, we are not doing any better. We fished the cod and turbot until there were very little left, at the same time we were forced to stop the seal hunt because the bleeding hearts with their lies had killed the markets for our seal products.

We are still fishing capelin, the main food for everything in the ocean, including the exploding seal population (their favourite food) and expect to have a healthy ocean.

At a capelin meeting in Gander this past week the FFAW walked out because two groups, Ocean North and Oceana Canada, were present at the meeting, two groups who were opposed to the capelin fishery because of its importance to a healthy ocean. The FFAW were never in favour of conservation of our ocean; they’re always fighting for more fish for its members. And what has it gotten us? The very fish we came to this province for is at an all-time low. We are lucky because of an explosion in the crab fishery, without that, we wouldn’t be talking about fish.

I was taught at an early age treat the ocean and land with respect, just take what you need, and they will provide you forever. I’ve never forgotten that.

If I had been at the capelin meeting in Gander I would be sitting with Jack Daly of Oceana, I am a member of that group and did some work with them this past summer.

I will work with anyone who is prepared to fight for the fisheries in our ocean. There’s not many of us left, Pat Cabot, Tom Best, Cabot Martin and Gus Etchegary, who put their heart and soul trying to preserve a way of life in this great province of Newfoundland and Labrador, all gone now, a battle lost; but by God, they went down with guns blazing.

As the fisheries goes, so does Newfoundland and Labrador; God Guard thee Newfoundland and Labrador.