Clam industry needs provincial, federal assistance says MLA

By John DeMings

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

Nova Scotia’s government needs to work with the federal government to solve the clamming crisis in the Annapolis Basin, says Digby-Annapolis MLA Harold Theriault.

“It seems as though there is no real plan here to solve the pollution concerns in the event of heavy rains,” the Liberal fisheries critic said in a news release.

“Where is the response from government? They’ve known that a crisis has been looming here for months and have done nothing.”

Theriault said a recent change in rules from the United States is causing immediate closures of beaches and has had a severe impact on those who rely on the clamming industry.

If the closure is due to problems with sewage systems in the area, then those problems need to be fixed, said Theriault.

“Both federal and provincial governments must stand up for this vital industry. Shouldn’t we be prepared for something as frequent as rain in Nova Scotia? We simply cannot just blame it on the rain,” he said.

The MLA said many clam harvesters have already lost more than half their year’s income.

“The clamming industry in this region is worth $9 million a year. With half of that revenue already lost, the economic impact here is disastrous. Spend the money necessary to solve this sewage problem immediately.”