Montague, PE – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, MP for Cardigan and Liberal critic for Fisheries and oceans is calling on all fishers, Islanders, and members of the media to join Liberal Leader Bob Rae and Liberal Members of Parliament at a town hall media conference Friday April 13 at the Stratford Town Hall to discuss the importance of DFO’s fleet separation and owner-operator policies.
“The fleet separation and owner-operator policies form the backbone of the inshore and mid-shore fisheries in Atlantic Canada and coastal Quebec”, said MacAulay. “We can’t let the Conservative government eliminate these policies. It would mean a massive loss of employment and income for our fishers and crew members, and the destruction of rural communities across the region.”
“Other jurisdictions have gone forward with similar fisheries reforms and the result has been the same across the board. Fishing licenses and quota end up centralized in the hands of a few wealthy individuals or companies in urban centres, employment significantly decreases, remaining fishers see a large drop in income, and fisheries-dependent communities become marginalized while the economic benefits of the fishery flow to cities and corporations rather than fishers and rural communities.”
“We are calling on all Islanders and all people of eastern Canada to stand up to the Conservative government and express support for our fishers and rural communities.”
