Norigs3

Formally announced this week, Norigs 3 is the third lobby group to be created in the past 22 years to fight oil and gas exploration on what is regarded as one of the most unique and lucrative fishing banks in the world.

Georges Bank has been under moratorium to oil and gas exploration since 1988. That moratorium was extended to 2012 when the issue was reexamined in the late 1990s.

“All the reasons the moratorium was extended are still valid today,” said Mark Butler, executive director of the Nova Scotia Ecology Action Centre. “Nothing significant has changed… except maybe the government’s interest in the royalties from exploration.”

The renewed lobby effort is the response from the fishing and environmental communities to comments made earlier this year by Nova Scotia Energy Minster Richard Hurlburt that the petroleum industry and the fishing industry can co-exist on Georges Bank.

“Georges Bank is the only offshore location in Atlantic Canada that’s off limits to the oil and gas industry,” said Butler. “I think there’s real value in keeping it that way. What’s wrong with leaving something for our children?”

From an environmental standpoint, Butler said opposition and concern to drilling on Georges Bank is “the same or greater than the last time around.”

Butler said there hasn’t been any significant changes or advancements in how the petroleum industry explores and exploits offshore reserves in the past 10 years.

“Technically it’s basically the same,” said Butler, adding “it makes me nervous to think” about the effects even seismic activity would have on the marine life that exists on Georges Bank.

Concerns from the fishing industry have not been abated either.

“Georges Bank is the one place on the Scotian Shelf where we have had a recovery of groundfish stocks,” said Denny Morrow, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association.