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Judy Foote, MHA for the District of Grand Bank and Opposition Critic for
Innovation, Trade and Rural Development says she concurs with the overriding
message coming out of yesterday’s fishery summit, that it is time for both
levels of government to act and implement solutions to stabilize the fishing
industry. Unable to come up with any creative solutions within government,
the premier convened a fact-finding meeting in which invited representatives
from a number of groups were permitted a short time frame to present their
views on the ongoing turmoil in the fishing industry.
"While the meeting was a good opportunity to exchange views, there was
nothing new presented that the premier or both ministers of fisheries should
not have already been aware of and acted on," said Foote ."We all agree that
it is time for decisive action. It is morally incumbent upon both levels of
government to come together to initiate some short-term and long-term
solutions to the crisis in the fishery. What is at risk here is not just the
loss of a fishing season, but the entire future of the fishing industry and
rural Newfoundland and Labrador is on the brink of a major shift, that if
not properly managed could devastate our entire province.
"Governments cannot continue to drag their feet and putting committees in
place may help in the long-term, but immediate solutions must be found to
deal with the crisis people are facing today. Bouncing around ideas and
suggestions within committees in the weeks ahead should not interfere with
governments fast-tracking short-term solutions. They have the knowledge, the
resources and the backing of the stakeholders to strengthen the industry and
provide the moral and financial support people need. It is now imperative to
use everything at their disposal to move quickly and respond to the crisis
utilizing an early retirement program, license buy-out and a plan for the
long-term recovery of our cod stocks.
"The message from the stakeholders represented at the summit is similar
to the message government has been hearing for months and even years _ the
industry needs restructuring and stabilization and those immediately
affected by the crisis require prompt assistance. While bringing together
these stakeholders was a good thing, the premier has shown a lack of
leadership on this issue, as a strategic plan on these issues should have
been laid out well before now. The well-being of Newfoundland and Labrador,
and in particular the current and future shapes of the industry, now hinges
on the political will to swiftly cast the most fitting net required to solve
the identified problems."
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