The Premier says he cannot support foreign fish harvesters participating in the commercial cod fishery given the small total allowable catch that has been set..
The federal government announced earlier this week that there will be a commercial cod fishery this year, the first since the cod moratorium of 1992.
Premier Andrew Furey says a consequence of the decision is that it gives NAFO partners the ability to have access to the stock.
Furey says given the small TAC, and the history of foreign overfishing in the past, he cannot support others “capitalizing” on the province’s resource.
“On such a small catch, I do believe this resource needs to be returned to the people of the province. Full stop. These are the people who have looked after it, these are the people who rightfully deserve after 33 years to benefit from it.” Furey says foreign harvesters didn’t nurse the resource back, move their families away, and sit on the sidelines to watch the resource grow.