|
Gerry Reid, Opposition Fisheries Critic and MHA for the District of
Twillingate-Fogo, says delays by the province in issuing a whelk processing
license for the Town of Ramea is hurting the potential of a new industry in
the community and its long-term survival. "On Friday, I met with a
representative of the Ramea Co-operative who is disappointed that Fisheries
Minister Trevor Taylor is refusing to issue a whelk license to their town,"
said Mr. Reid. "The community has been waiting since July and a business
plan has been submitted to the provincial government to issue this license
which will allow them to process this underutilized species.
"The Town of Ramea have the facilities to do this processing, have the
investors in place who require no government money and have the
accessibility to raw material, some of which is currently being shipped
outside the province for processing in facilities elsewhere."
The provincial government issued a temporary license for the Co-operative
last year, but due to the lateness of the approval and the uncertainty of a
permanent license, it was not acceptable to the investors who will only put
forward the necessary funding if the town secures a permanent license.
"This government continuously states they are committed to rural
Newfoundland and Labrador, but do very little to encourage new growth and
opportunity. This is another instance where government’s foot dragging is
jeopardizing a new industry in a community that is in desperate need of new
jobs. There is no government investment required and no rules need to be
changed. Why is the minister delaying the issuance of this license?
"I join with the town, the Ramea Co-operative and the residents of Ramea
in requesting that Minister Taylor issue this license. Everything seems to
be in place to accommodate this new industry, why is the provincial
government refusing to do their part?"
|