Gerry Byrne says there are serious issues with the management of our fishery by Ottawa.
FFAW President Dwan Street spoke at a meeting last night of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans in Ottawa. The meeting was to discuss the impact of the reopening of the Northern Cod fishery in NL and the redfish fishery. Street says they’ve worked for decades to get harvesters' voices at the table and be respected. Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne spoke at the meeting in person in Ottawa, as well as Dr. Erin Carruthers, lead scientist with DFO, and Dr. George Rose, professor at the Marine Institute, among others. Byrne says there are serious issues with the management of our fishery by Ottawa. He is a former member of that committee and says he can remember when everyone worked together to get solutions. Byrne says the meeting consisted of exchanges back and forth across the table and he feels it was an opportunity missed.