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Opposition Leader Roger Grimes says that recent correspondence has shown
that Fisheries Minister Trevor Taylor and his Deputy Minister are not on the
same page when it comes to the issue of production quotas in the crab
industry. Fisheries Minister Trevor Taylor has continuously stated that an
independent arbitrator would have the final say when it comes to crab quotas
for individual plants. He also stated that no plant would receive a quota
less than 90 per cent of its last three years of production. In a letter
sent from the Deputy Minister of Fisheries on April 15th, both of
these statements have been contradicted.
"I was very surprised to learn that the Minister and Deputy Minister of
Fisheries were making statements that were the exact opposite of each
other," said Mr. Grimes. "Minister Taylor has continuously stated that an
independent arbitrator would make the final decisions when it comes to plant
production quotas. However, in an April 15th letter to fish plant
operators, his deputy minister stated that ‘The word arbitrator is used only
as a term of convenience. This is not a formal arbitration because the
Minister has the final say in shares.’ I ask the minister, who is telling
the truth?
"The Minister also states that plants will receive a production quota
that will be 90 per cent of their production for the last three years.
However, in the same April 15th letter, the Deputy Minister
states ‘Companies do not receive an automatic 90 per cent of their three
year average purchases. This would potentially result in an
over-subscription of the quota.’ It is obvious why government is having a
hard time convincing the people of the province to support a production
quota system, the minister doesn’t understand the system himself.
"Now is the time for government to remove production quotas from the
table this year. They do not have the support of fish harvesters and have
lost the support of one of the largest crab processing companies in the
province. If government truly wants to move forward with this system, they
should take the next twelve months to consult with fish harvesters and get
this system right. Forcing a system that is flawed down the throats of fish
harvesters will not result in a solution, but only cause more disruptions in
this very important industry."
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