Sue's Blog

Thursday, December 07, 2006

New Regulations for the Seal Hunt 2 years away?

Another Year of Protest and Potential Danger to Sealers???

I'm sure most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians were convinced that new regulations regarding protestors to the annual seal harvest would be ready for this year.
Considering the recent victory in the PEI Supreme Court against Paul Watson should have been encouragement for the DFO to play tough - with these money seeking parasites. The money raised on the backs of Newfoundland and Labrador sealers keeps these groups going for a whole year.
Apparently - despite Loyola's commitment to deal with this matter - we could be waiting another 2 years and go through a public consultation process before regulations are changed.
The Province for its part has done nothing since an announcement of money to promote the harvest since the budget and the Premier's life altering debate with the McCartneys - and the delivery of sealskin coats to foreigners who call us "welfare bums".
So what's the news? Has the Province or Minister Rideout heard from the feds on this pressing matter to the health and safety of those who work in this harsh environment? Has the Province told the DFO and Minister Hearn what we need this year?

Here's the statement in a CP story:

"Officials in the Fisheries Department say new regulations could be as much as two years away. Any changes, they add, will require consultation with stakeholders."

No comments: