Panel to explore Georges Bank moratorium issue during conference

A special CORE Panel session representing various sides of the Georges Bank issue will take place on Thursday, Oct. 9 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax.

The panel is part of the Canadian Offshore Resources Exhibition (CORE) and Conference, which is an annual gathering of decision makers and experts in the oil and gas industry. The purpose of the conference is to identify, promote and support the development of opportunities in hydrocarbon and associated energy industries.

The conference opened Oct. 7 and wraps up on Friday.

With the Canadian moratorium on petroleum exploration on the Georges Bank set to expire at the end of 2012, groups have been aligning themselves to oppose the lifting of the moratorium, while others are pushing for an informed debate of whether oil, gas and fishing can co-exist.

Dr. Lucia Fanning, Director Marine Affairs Program, Dalhousie University who will present an overview and background on Georges Bank.

Panelists participants will include:

•Dick Stewart, President, Arctic Fisheries

•Dr. Robert Rangeley, Director - Atlantic Marine Program, WWF-Canada

•Brian Giroux, Executive Director, Scotia Fundy Mobile Gear Fishermen's Association, former member of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board

•Dr. Meinhard Doelle, Associate Director - Marine and Environmental Law and Assistant Professor of Law, Dalhousie University

•Clifford Hood, Yarmouth town councillor and lawyer, Hood and Associate

•Mark Healy, Offshore/Onshore Technologies Association of Nova Scotia chair and General Manager, AMEC Black and McDonald

The session chair is Jim Meek, a columnist for the Halifax Chronicle Herald.

The panel will provide opinions to questions and concerns and put the issue of Georges Bank in the broader context of energy exploration, fisheries management, environmental stewardship, and resource ownership.

The session: “Industry Panel Session: Georges Bank: Maximizing Nova Scotia`s Potential” will be held 1:45-3:00 pm on Thursday.