Lobster pots (file photo)
During this election campaign, Conservative candidates have been sounding the alarm that more Marine Protected Areas will kill the fishing industry in Nova Scotia.
MPAs are regions of ocean that protect species and areas at risk by limiting the amount of human contact.
A release from West Nova Conservative Candidate Chris d’Entremont on September 26 accused the Trudeau Liberals of planning, “to shut down Nova Scotia’s fishing industry”.
d’Entremont goes on to say, “For four years, Nova Scotia’s Liberal MPs stood by silently as their government undercut the consultation process that is vital to designating protected areas. As a result, Marine Protected Areas are being determined before consultation happens and fishermen and small coastal communities are being forced to fight their government to defend their interests. This is wrong and must stop.”
The release has since been removed from the official Conservative Party of Canada website.
Conservative Candidate for South Shore-St.Margaret’s Rick Perkins says half the MPAs in the world are “no-take zones”.
Perkins says the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and federal government have failed to consult with industry, something his party will do if they are elected.
“Are the officials out of control from the government, from what the Liberals sent? Perhaps, I don’t know. But it’s either bad management on behalf of the first government or it is their plan. Which one is it?
Perkins says you only have to look at what government has already done to see what will happen if they proceed with increasing the percentage of MPAs in Canada from ten to thirty percent over the next ten years.
“In two of the two, so they’ve got a 100 percent record, of two marine protected areas off of Nova Scotia, both of them are no-take zones. Which means not even a hook in the water.”
Perkins says based on what he’s read in a draft report along with information from DFO’s own website, increasing the number of MPAs from 10% to 30% in the next decade will be devastating to the industry.
But the Executive Director of the South Shore Fundy Inshore Fisherman’s Association doesn’t necessarily see it the same way.
Judith Maxwell, says while she certainly isn’t sticking up for government, it’s not fair to say her group hasn’t been consulted.
Maxwell says conversations around MPAs began with the previous conservative government but became a priority for the Fisheries Minister when the Liberals came to power last election.
Maxwell says these conversations have been ongoing since around 2012.
“It’s not quite how it’s being portrayed because the mandate of DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) is, they absolutely have to consult with the industry.”
She says government has consulted in the past and will have to continue to consult with groups like hers in the future.
“We will be able to stop everything? Nope. But will we have input to make it as least harmful as possible? Absolutely. And as soon as this election is over, we’ll be dealing with this 25 to 30 percent [proposed percentage of MPAs], if it’s going through, it will be at the top of our list too.”
Maxwell says the issue of MPAs is being blown out of proportion because of the election and her group will work with whichever party wins power on October 21.
Reported by: Ed Halverson
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
E-mail: halverson.ed@radioabl.ca
