sust-mar: Centre Petitions Minister on Conserving Corals, Sponges, and , Tomorrow's Fish

Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 12:59:50 -0300 (ADT)
From: Mark Butler <ar427@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


Your message didn't get posted on sust-mar? Probably it contained html coding.
Use your "Format" pull-down menu to switch to plain text format.
____________________________________________________________________________
Centre Petitions Minister on Conserving 
Corals, Sponges and Tomorrow's Fish

For Immediate Release						July 29,
2003

HALIFAX - The Ecology Action Centre of Nova Scotia has submitted a
petition to the federally appointed Commissioner on Environment and
Sustainable Development. The petition is addressed to the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans and focuses on DFO's failure to protect fish habitat
from the impacts of fish dragging. Fish habitat is anything a fish uses in
its life and includes living features, such as corals and sponges, and
physical features, such as humps and holes.

"DFO's inability to address and resolve this issue over the last twenty
years is a disaster both for the ecosystem and the economy of Atlantic
Canada," says Mark Butler, EAC's Marine Coordinator. "We hope the
Commissioner can oblige the Minister to address this issue in a forthright
and comprehensive manner-we've had enough fishery collapses." 

According to the Commissioner on Environment and Sustainable Development,
protecting fish and fish habitat remains a significant concern for
Canadians, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada continues to be one of the most
petitioned departments. Of the approximately 100 petitions submitted, it
is estimated that 28 relate to impacts on fish habitat, primarily
freshwater habitat. 

For years fishermen have been calling for restrictions on dragging-the
towing of large nets and heavy rollers and weights across the ocean floor.
More recently, scientists have been publishing study after study
describing the negative impacts of dragging and many, including government
scientists, are calling for restrictions on dragging.

In June 2001, EAC announced that it was seeking a judicial review of DFO's
decision to re-open fishing grounds to groundfish draggers. Lawyers with
the Sierra Legal Defence Fund are arguing that DFO, by issuing licences to
draggers, is facilitating the destruction of fish habitat contrary to the
Fisheries Act. The case will be argued on January 26, 2004 in Federal
Court in Halifax. 

To view petitions already submitted to the Commissioner go to
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/domino/reports.nsf/html/c20021006ce.html To view
the EAC's petition and material on dragging (minus) appendices go to
www.ecologyaction.ca.
					-30-

For more information contact Mark Butler or Penny Doherty at 429-2202


--------------------
Mark Butler
Marine Issues Committee Coordinator

Ecology Action Centre
1568 Argyle Street Suite 31
Halifax, NS
B3J 2B3

902.429.2202p
902.422.6410f
-----------------------

____________________________________________________________________________
Did a friend forward this to you?  Join sust-mar yourself!
Just send 'subscribe sust-mar' to mailto:majordomo@chebucto.ca

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects