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Gerry Reid, Liberal Opposition Critic for Fisheries and Aquaculture and MHA
for the District of Twillingate and Fogo, is calling on Minister Trevor
Taylor to put aside a plan to implement productions quotas for crab and try
to get the fishery opened before the season is completely lost. "With
today’s announcement of further cuts to crab quotas and the possibility of a
shorter season due to soft shell crab, this is not a time for Minister
Taylor to be stubborn," said Reid. "He must take production quotas off the
table so that harvesters and processors can get back to negotiating a price
for crab and shrimp. It is essential for the Minister to act immediately so
that fishers are back on the water and plant workers back in plants, where
they want to be and should be at this time."
The Liberal MHA is concerned about the impact of a shorter season if the
strike continues to keep fishermen off the water. "Our window of opportunity
will already be restricted this season if DFO follows through on its planned
closure of the crab fishery once soft shell becomes prevalent. This could
mean a closure of the fishery as early as the end of June.
"It is therefore incumbent on the Premier to step in to end the impasse
that currently exists between harvesters and processors before we lose a
$500 Million crab fishery. This can be done by taking production quotas off
the table and only implement them when agreed upon by the harvesters and
processors as was recommended by the Dunne Report. We no longer have time to
waste; the loss of this fishery will have a serious impact on the economy of
the province." |