The federal fisheries minister has accepted a recommendation to scrap a contentious policy governing the lucrative northern shrimp fishery.
In a report delivered to Dominic LeBlanc last week, a federal panel recommended eliminating the last-in, first-out (LIFO) policy and replacing it with a system of proportional sharing.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia concerned over possible change to northern shrimp quota
In a statement Wednesday, LeBlanc says proportional sharing is consistent with the approach used in most other Canadian fisheries, and means inshore and offshore fleets will continue to share in the benefits of the multi-million-dollar fishery.
Nova Scotia Fisheries Minister Keith Colwell has said the new policy could spell disaster for Nova Scotia fishermen, who have invested heavily in the northern shrimp fishery based on the protections of LIFO.
But Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries Minister Steve Crocker said with stocks declining, there will be “no winners” in either province – and a sharing approach will be more fair.
READ MORE: East Coast ministers at odds over northern shrimp policy
LeBlanc says he is awaiting recommendations from the Northern Shrimp Advisory Committee for the fishery after its meeting tomorrow.
Comments