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Jones seeking clarification on Coast Guard response to stranded sealers April 20, 2007 Yvonne Jones, Opposition Labrador Affairs Critic and MHA for the District of Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, is seeking clarification on a recent decision by the Quebec division of the Coast Guard not to dispatch an available helicopter on the vessel "Des Groseilliers" to help deliver much-needed supplies to stranded sealers off the coast of Labrador. Over the past several days, many sealing vessels have become stranded in severe ice and have run out of needed supplies such as water and food. A scheduled drop of supplies to stranded vessels was cancelled yesterday after available helicopters from Newfoundland and Labrador based Coast Guard vessels were diverted to pick up sealers. Meanwhile, it appears a request to have a helicopter from a Quebec based vessel to provide assistance was refused by officials in that province's Coast Guard division. "The staff of Coast Guard are doing a tremendous job in addressing the needs of our sealers and protecting them during this dangerous time," said Ms. Jones. "Our provincial Coast Guard fleet is working tirelessly to ensure all vessels are safe and have sufficient supplies. With the number of vessels that are stuck in the thick pack ice, I have been in contact with our provincial office on a daily basis and feel that they have been doing an excellent job under challenging circumstances. "While our provincial fleet has been working around the clock, I cannot understand why a decision was made yesterday by the Quebec division to refuse the release of a helicopter based on the vessel "Des Groseilliers". I have not confirmed this with officials at Coast Guard, as they have not provided information as it relates to the Quebec division. I have never heard of a situation like this before and I would like an explanation of the situation and the details of such a decision. "If this decision was made because the sealers were not deemed to be in any immediate danger, Coast Guard should certainly re-evaluate this policy. Every emergency situation should be a priority and all available vessels should be utilized whether they are based out of Newfoundland and Labrador or Quebec. It is certainly unacceptable to have helicopters sitting idle while our people are stranded on pack ice without food or water. I am asking Coast Guard officials to clarify this situation and ensure we do not have a similar situation take place in the coming days."
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