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Gerry Reid, Opposition Fisheries Critic and MHA for the District of
Twillingate-Fogo, says today’s announcement establishing a Fish Processing
Licensing Board does not follow the recommendation of the Dunne report and
will do nothing to establish an independent decision-making board on the
awarding of fish processing licenses in the province. "Today’s
announcement by Fisheries Minister Trevor Taylor is much ado about nothing
as this board is strictly advisory in nature," said Mr. Reid. "The Dunne
Report recommended the establishment of an independent, arms-length board
that would make decisions related to who would receive a fish processing
license in this province. Today’s announcement does nothing to fulfill this
recommendation as the Minister of Fisheries still has the final say and can
overrule the decision of the board.
"For a Fish Processing Licensing Board to operate properly, it needs to
be truly independent and outside of political influence. If the minister
truly wanted change, he would have appointed a board that actually had some
teeth, one whose decision is final and binding.
"Today’s announcement will only create more uncertainty in the industry.
Once the minister begins making his own decisions and ignoring the
recommendations of this board, I fully expect larger problems to be created
in the future. This is nothing more than smoke and mirrors."
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