Fishermen never wanted a big brother – John Gillett, inshore fisherman, Twillingate

dfocrestOur fishing and sealing industries mean a lot to us. We never looked to government or wanted the Canadian government to be a big brother to us. Mother Nature was our enforcer until the Department of Fisheries came along with its heavy hand that sent our culture in a downward spin. They gave permits to offshore draggers foreign and domestic to reap the spawning grounds in winter while the majority of fish harvesters were onshore in the winter mending gear and repairing or building boats to catch the returning fish coming from the offshore in the spring and summer. They put in place licence conditions that only a Philadelphia lawyer could understand. Read the letter here 08:46

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