MPs Carol Anstey, Jonathan Rowe and Clifford Small (Facebook)
The MP for Terra Nova – The Peninsulas is surprised that his fellow NL MPs on the government side of the house voted against a Private Members Motion to expand the annual recreational food fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador to seven days a week.
Jonathan Rowe says that would bring the province in line with the rest of Atlantic Canada and reduce the possibility of people taking a chance and going out when conditions are not ideal.
Rowe says he heard the same thing in every community he visited in the riding last summer.
“Every community said ‘Jonathan, we want to be able to fish seven days a week. Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, Quebec, all the other Atlantic provinces can fish seven days a week,’” when the fishery is open.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson says the Conservative Private Member’s Bill would have added unnecessary red tape through new monitoring requirements for the food fishery. And, to cover the costs associated with the monitoring, it would have meant new fees for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to access their own fishery.
She says people in this province shouldn’t have to pay to catch cod.
That’s why Rowe says he was so surprised that the motion didn’t get the approval of Liberal MPs.
Premier Tony Wakeham says he supports the concept.
He says Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve the opportunity to catch a few cod for the table, which is why so many people refer to it as the “food fishery.”
