Guy Johnstone is cautiously optimistic about the federal governmentsa国际传媒檚 decision to hold an emergency review of the new regulations regarding frozen-at-sea spot prawns.
Johnstone, a fisherman in Cowichan Bay who operates the Michelle Rose Community Supported Fishery, said the decision by the federal Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans to conduct a review of the regulations that make the sale of frozen-at-sea spot prawns illegal for the first time is a step in the right direction.
RELATED STORY:
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 hard to say if the review will accomplish anything, but Isa国际传媒檓 happy the issue is being taken seriously,sa国际传媒� he said.
sa国际传媒淪o far, due to pressure from the public, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has said that, as far as they are concerned, defying the new regulations is a contravention of the law, but they wonsa国际传媒檛 enforce the regulations in 2021. But thatsa国际传媒檚 just punting it down the line. Fishers and the communities need this changed and we need a long-term solution to this issue.sa国际传媒�
DFOsa国际传媒檚 objection to freezing spot prawns on fishing boats is in reference to a reinterpretation of the regulation requiring all harvested products to be readily available for measurement by enforcement officers on fishing boats.
The measurements are typically done while the prawns are still alive on the sorting tables and, up until now, if they were already frozen, the fishermen would be required to thaw the prawns so they could be measured.
But DFO has recently determined that frozen-at-sea spot prawns are no longer considered readily available for measurement, and are no longer allowed, which could effectively stop the sale of all frozen spot-prawns to Canadian markets, including local ones that many fishermen, including Johnstone, depend on for much of their income.
That raised a furor in local fishing communities and politicians, including Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichansa国际传媒揗alahatsa国际传媒揕angford, as well as Vancouver Island NDP MPs Gord Johns and Rachel Blaney, got involved.
RELATED STORY:
MacGregor sent a letter to Ken McDonald, chairman of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, asking that DFO review the regulations and Gord Johns, who is the critic for Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, successfully moved a motion in the House of Commons asking for an emergency review.
MacGregor said that while a projected start date for the review has not yet been determined, committee members did indicate their support that it be the next study they do, and he expects the review to begin by mid-May.
sa国际传媒淚 am pleased to learn that the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans has heeded my call for an emergency study,sa国际传媒� MacGregor said.
sa国际传媒淭his is the result of tireless advocacy from the BC Prawn Industry Caucus, Vancouver Island NDP MPs Rachel Blaney and Gord Johns, and our concerned constituents,sa国际传媒� he said.
sa国际传媒淚 would encourage everyone involved to continue putting pressure on Ottawa by signing petitions and writing the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan.sa国际传媒�
For more news from Vancouver Island and beyond delivered daily into your inbox, please
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
Like us on and follow us on
