Government says strengthening penalties for oil industry operators is just one of the topics discussed at a meeting in St. John’s yesterday.

With four offshore oil spills in the last 16 months, the provincial government called in regulators to have a look at rules, regulations, policies and practices.

The Minister of Natural Resources, Siobhan Coady, says these incidents are going to happen. She believes the current model works, but they are not against looking at different ways of doing things.

Other topics that were discussed included enhancing risk audits, comparing governance here to worldwide standards and the effects of climate change to the offshore.

She says they want to make sure that operators understand safety and environmental protection are paramount to Newfoundland and Labrador. And they will make sure that they are held accountable.