A government MP from this province agrees with fishers that some of the rules around vessel registration in Newfoundland and Labrador make no sense.

Callers to VOCM Open Line this week have been complaining that the rules in Newfoundland and Labrador differ from the rest of the country.

For example, it takes 30 days to register a vessel in all other provinces but in Newfoundland and Labrador, the owner has to wait until a new calendar year kicks in before the registration takes effect.

Avalon MP Ken McDonald calls that ridiculous, a point he has made with Transport Canada in the past.

McDonald also cites rules regarding the size of a vessel, something which sometimes forces the owner to chop a foot or two off the boat, possibly affecting its stability.

He says restricting the size of a vessel makes no sense.

He points to the tragedy in Placentia Bay in which two fishermen from Southern Harbour drowned.

He says they had a 35′ 11″ vessel tied on at the wharf, but they couldn’t use it because of the restriction and instead went out in an open boat.