Opposition fisheries critic challenges Williams’ government on
urban-rural divide

Marshall Dean, MHA for the District of The Straits-White Bay North and Opposition Critic for Fisheries, says government continues to encourage the urban-rural divide that exits in this province with its treatment of the crab fishery.

The MHA again questioned the minister of fisheries in the House of Assembly on why government does not see fit to provide some short-term investment to get crab harvesters on the water this season and get fish plants opened.   Dean has also been highlighting the issue of government’s poorly-made decision to locate the air ambulance medevac service out of St. Anthony.

“From my district perspective, not only are we losing a critical medical service based on inadequate information, but with government failing to step in and help address the short-term crisis in the crab fishery, some 2,300 people will be directly affected from River of Ponds North,” says Dean.  “The loss of these incomes and the fall-out for communities along the coast is something that is unprecedented. At least when the 1992 moratorium hit us, the federal government stepped in to provide support.

“There is no doubt that the urban-rural divide is alive and well under the Williams government and we are penalized because the fishery impacts primarily rural communities.  This government is trying to gut rural Newfoundland and Labrador by a thousand cuts and those cuts will take place overnight if this fishery does not go ahead.”

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