Thursday, 06 November 2003
Fishermen Call For Seismic Moratorium (Sydney, N.S.) Representatives of fishermen's groups from across the region are coming
together today to demand that a moratorium be placed on seismic
exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Corridor Resources applied last
week for a permit to do seismic exploration in the near shore off Cape
Breton's southwest coast.
Greg Eglisson of the Gulf of St Lawrence Herring Federation today said
"Department of Fisheries and Oceans has testified at the public review
held by Teresa MacNeil that this area is more sensitive than Georges Bank
which is currently under moratorium. Over two billion pounds of
commercial fish and marine mammals migrate through these waters at this
time of year. How can the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
even consider granting a permit to do seismic?"
" This proposal is reckless beyond belief," Ronnie Doucet, Vice President
of Area 19 Snow Crab Fishermen's Association, said today. The National
Energy Board, the Quebec equivalent of the CNSOPB has recently objected to
proposed seismic testing in the Gulf because DFO has indicated that
exploration could have significant effects on snow crab, northern shrimp
and egg bearing female lobsters in particular. DFO also thinks that
redfish reproduction and cod migration could be affected. "Risking so many
jobs in the region when the risks are clear and the benefits to the region
are so few makes no sense" Mr Doucet said.
Both the Fisheries Resources Conservation Council (FRCC) and the House of
Commons Fishery Committee have recommended that this area be protected by
a moratorium. Ian MacDonald, Gulf Fisheries Petroleum Advisory Board is
outraged. "How can the CNSOPB be talking about fast tracking the approval
process to several weeks when British Columbia just announced it would
take at least six years to consider a similar proposal?"
"The CNSOPB is ignoring recommendations from other regulators and federal
scientists as well as the fishing community in a shameless promotion of
oil and gas at any cost" Bill MacDonald, a fisherman who has followed oil
and gas issues from the beginning of the process, said today. "When even
the National Energy Board, the national regulator, urges precaution and
our CNSOPB acts as a shameless promoter, it is time to dismantle the
CNSOPB and replace it with a process that is sensitive to the real
concerns of fishermen, federal scientists and parliamentarians."
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