Fisheries Act must include legal duty to rebuild stocks: Oceana Canada
For the first time since the Fisheries Act was created in 1868, there are provisions within it that focus on the rebuilding of fish stocks. But as they’re currently worded, they fall short of what international experience has shown is required to actually help a stock rebuild. Simply, they must mandate that the federal government respond, not just consider responding. That was the word from Josh Laughren, executive director of Oceana Canada, at the House fisheries committee earlier today. He said the language contained in Bill C-68 will also have to go further if it’s going to fulfil Canada’s international agreements and ensure this country’s laws are commensurate with other nations. >click to read<16:06
He cited examples from European Union, New Zealand, Japan, and the US. Ask the Brexit fishermen about the success of the EU! NZ has plenty of flaws, and the US example, always displayed arrogantly as the model for the world, is being lobbied for change with HR 200, because it is not working for most fishermen. Maybe some select ones, but not all. A lot of “science” has been presented since the last reauthorization of MSA, and a lot of assumptions touted are not paying off. They won’t unless the marine mammal predation issue is addressed in Canada, and the US, and I believe the EU, as these fish laws allow expanding populations of predators to take the sacrifices of fishermen that managers demand to rebuild, while letting the unregulated, and encouraged to grow marine mammal fishing community. Perhaps Oceana Canada Josh would like to address that. Because he never brought it up.