UPDATED November 16, 2004
PRESS
RELEASE ON THE HERRING SEINERS IN SOURIS
Charlottetown, PEI ...The Prince Edward Island Federation of Labour
passed a resolution in support of PEI's inshore fishermen in their
fight against the corporate owned seiners which threaten the
sustainability of the herring stocks within the traditional inshore
fishery grounds of Prince Edward Island.
"The 10,000 members of the P.E.I. Federation of Labour stand with
Prince Edward Island inshore fishermen in their fight to protect their
livelihood," states Carl Pursey, President of the P.E.I. Federation of
Labour. "We know that over 1,000 Island fishermen have access to much
less quota than 5 seiners, the majority of which are owned by one
corporate entity, the Barry Group," states Pursey. The Federation of
Labour recognizes that the collapse of other species (red fish, cod)
through unsustainable, corporate fishery practical has led to the loss
of jobs on P.E.I.
We cannot let jobs in our coastal communities continue to be threatened
by such corporate, unsustainable practices. The Federation of Labour
calls upon the Federal Government to immediately restrict such fishing
to the limits now found off Isle de la Madeleine and the South Shore of
Nova Scotia. "Our fishermen and workers who depend on a healthy inshore
fishery deserve the same protection,"states Pursey. "We know that the
continued health of our lobster and tuna fishery is based on
maintaining healthy herring stocks off the coast. The recent collapse
of the spring and summer herring fishery as well as the collapse of
herring on the Bay of Chaleur call upon us to immediately call for
steps so that this fishery remains sustainable, and to ensure that
corporate control of the fishery does not jeopardize employment on
Prince Edward Island.
The Federation of Labour also condemns the waste of police and other
resources aimed at "criminalizing" fishermen and their families
standing up for their rights. We call upon the federal government to
give added resources to efforts to protect these stocks from depletion
for the good of current and future generations who depend on healthy
herring stocks to make a living.
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