Questions remain about new fisheries act bill

By John DeMings

FOR THE SOU’WESTER

A meeting held Wednesday, Feb. 6 in Truro, N.S. to explain a new proposed fisheries act, Bill C-32, didn’t answer all concerns of fishermen.

Attending the meeting were representatives from provincial and federal governments, non-profit organizations, First Nations, fishing unions and fishermen from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

The provincial organization, Coastal Communities Network, organized the meeting to bring together fishermen and stakeholders with federal fisheries officials to clarify complex sections of the act, including creation of a fisheries tribunal and the transfer of licences.

In a news release issued after the meeting by the organization, Arthur Bull, executive director of the Bay of Fundy Marine Resource Centre at Cornwallis, said he found many promising things in the proposed act, including a section on community-based management.

“However, I wonder if it will make a difference. DFO doesn’t have a good history of following or enforcing its own policy.”

According to the release, Gilles Belzile, director general for policy coordination and liaison with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the new act would be more beneficial to small inshore fisherman because it will no longer allow full ministerial discretion. He said such discretion has led to decisions being influenced by powerful lobbying group, often to the detriment of inshore fishermen.

Peter Connors, a fisherman from Sheet Harbour, N.S. responded, “I take you at your word that you will build honesty and transparency. I know we [inshore fishermen] are only a small part of things, but it’s important to our communities.”

Asked about mechanisms in the act covering licence transfers, Belzile said a fishing licence is legally a privilege and cannot be transferred or bought and sold. When one fisherman goes to sell a licence to another, the licence is cancelled by DFO and a new one is issued to the person specified by the former licence holder if the new holder qualifies.

If money exchanges hands, it is not part of DFO’s procedures, Belzile said.

“It is difficult for people who have been closely involved for decades to hear DFO saying that it’s reissuing licences when DFO has known all along the value placed on these licences,” responded fisherman John Kearny.

And Ishbel Munro, executive director of the Coastal Communities Network, warned that if DFO is not creating policies based on the reality of how licences change hands, it will become increasingly easier for large companies to consolidate licences, “which could lead to the collapse of our rural coastal communities.”

Kay Wallace of the Guysborough Inshore Fisherman’s Association, described the meeting as a helpful opportunity to gain a better understanding of the act, but left the meeting saying, “I am still concerned.”



(John DeMings is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Digby Courier newspaper and a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)