Common-sense will prevail in managing threats to fisheries: Ritz

ALBERTON — Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says he welcomes the changes Fisheries and Oceans Minister Keith Ashfield announced Tuesday for protecting the productivity of Canada’s recreational, commercial and aboriginal fisheries.

“We want to put in place rules that are clear and practical and focus on the priorities of Canadians and, in doing so, we want to conserve and protect Canada’s fisheries so that they can continue to contribute to the Canadian way of life for generations to come,” Ritz said during a media conference call.

“The Fisheries Act is predicated, is about maintaining fisheries, and that’s what we’re seeking to do here,” said Ritz. “Make sure that we refocus our energies, make sure that we’re actually working on fish habitat and fisheries, not on a small canal across the back-40 somewhere that really isn’t connected.”

As for runoff from sewage systems or from farmers fields polluting fish habitat, Ritz said there are existing rules under Environment Canada and provincial guidelines that are supposed to guard against those situations.

“What we’re looking to do is focus on those types of things and make sure fish habitat is protected from exactly those types of issues,” he said.

In announcing the coming changes, Ashfield noted recreational fishing alone generates $8.3 billion of economic activity in Canada, and the commercial fishing, aquaculture and fish processing sectors employ 80,000 Canadians.

“Our government recognizes that Canada’s fisheries are important to Canadians. We simply want the rules to focus on these priorities and ensure our fisheries continue to be protected,” said the fisheries minister.

“We will adopt a common-sense approach to managing real and significant threats to fisheries, and the habitat that support them, while minimizing the restrictions on every day activities that have little to no impact on the productivity of Canada’s fisheries,” added Ritz.

Outdated rules, he suggested, impacted farmers, businesses and the Canadian economy.

“This does not make sense to the majority of Canadians,” he said.

Ritz cited examples under the current rules where DFO officers could prevent farmers from clearing out their irrigation canals, or municipalities from moving a drainage culvert even though no fish habitat would be threatened.

Original Article
Source: theguardian.pe.ca
Author: Eric McCarthy