NL-Outsidethebox [confederation]

It was his first major announcement since stepping into the Fisheries and Oceans ministerial portfolio three weeks ago.

On Friday, DFO minister Loyola Hearn officially released the High Seas Task Force final report, and announced Canada’s next steps to combat global overfishing.

Working in co-operation with the United Kingdom, Canada will oversee the development of a model regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) within a year.
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Closing the Net

The High Seas Task Force includes the fisheries ministers of Australia, Canada, Chile, Namibia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, as well as the directors-general of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the World Conservation Union and the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
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He is hopeful things will start to change.

"We’re starting to see action and support on this," he says, noting the support of six other nations — including the UK, Australia and New Zealand — on the task force report and recommendations.
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Change in the wind

Yet Hearn speaks with optimism, following the release of this report, that change is coming to the high seas.

Noting that illegal and unreported catches are costing the fishing industry, worldwide, about $9 billion a year, Hearn says, "It’s time to wake up. We’ve received the wake-up call and the countries that are concerned, led by Canada, are making it quite clear to the other nations that we are not willing to put up with it anymore.


"The message I gave to the EU today is either you help us do this, or we do it ourselves."
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The final report of the High Seas Task Force, including a summary of the proposals, are posted at www.overfishing.gc.ca

# posted by NL-ExPatriate @ 3/12/2006 01:09:00 pm