New PC leader will come from Outside

The PC race - so to speak - is remarkably active.

A party at 20% in the polls usually finds it tough to grab serious interest from the outside - but this time it's different. There's significant cash and wealth on the line.

The Liberals have elected a competent, successful, professional - who just happens not to be one of the backroom elite. The money - old and new - and the political establishment in Newfoundland and Labrador were not successful in electing their candidate for Liberal leader. As I've said before - Dwight Ball is a people's leader and will be a people's Premier after the next election.

So - the boy's club - thinking they could count on taking over the Liberal Party in the wake of a disastrous performance by the current government - were left surprised. Up until a few months ago - if all else failed they might have gone the Jack Harris/NDP route.

There is no doubt the boys will be very careful this time around. They need somebody who can make corporate resource giveaways look like the people just won the lottery. Considering most of the current PC MHA's don't have that "X"factor - most not even considered Cabinet material - the new leader has to be a savior.

If the boys had managed to own the Liberal Party the PC's would be doing the usual government on the way out thing - where a few sitting members would run as caretaker while they sit out a new Liberal rule.

So what's likely then?

Inside we can see possibly:
                             Team King
                             Team Dalley
                             Team Davis
Commoners
Outside it may be the:
                             Team Barry McDonald Tobin
                             Team Powers Penney Sullivans
Establishment
I suspect Danny may be either  - as either can meet his needs - as a citizen.

Marshall - who has always been there - just in case - oops correcter is now the Interim Premier leaving him to stay neutral - so to speak - that is continue to help usher for the feature film. Marshall - interim of everything (thereby confirming the lack of depth in the back bench) gets to have the title - be the boss - and protect the boat until a new skipper can be found.

Powers - who so coincidentally was introduced as a guest VOCM talkshow host over the past year - is now known more broadly by the electorate. He's well known in the lobbyist and corporate masters arena.

Barry - is a provincial character - fish merchant - I believe is a Gates type individual - wherein if we give him all the money - all the fish - all resources - he'd be happy to give some back to what he considers worthwhile causes and people. Competition not needed.

Both have enemies and both represent the establishment.

Question is which one can they sell to the people? Maybe neither - so they will be looking further afield for a back-up just in case.

At this time I predict - the new leader will come from the outside - in order that the resource giveaways keep a coming.

This is going to be a real test for the people of the province. Do they support the establishment  merchant or the leader of the people?

Rules Matter? Progressive "cons"erv-myself

Headlines:

Sullivan censured for lobbying government

Penashue accused of election overspending

and then a story where Dave Brazil is committee vice-chairperson looking into "suspicious" agriculture spending. Why are we paying the farmers in barley and hops?

...so when the children are looking for role models in society - where should they look?

Should they look to the House of Commons or the House of Assembly? Should they follow some of them to jail? Why not? We trust them all so much we elect them.

While we are at it - where can I buy an acre of land in St. John's for $300?

Some of the the elite and the elite wannabes are telling us: Muskrat is good for you; there is money to be made with this development; this is the only option you and I have - we should listen right?

If we don't listen - the bullies come out of the woodwork - you know the adult bullies setting great examples for the children.

Currently I am building an art collection and gathering fine wine. Anybody know how I can fund it? If I do that - the Bank of Canada might consider me for a Board position. Still trying to figure out what it takes to sit on the Board of Nalcor - any suggestions?

The Cloud over Newfoundland and Labrador

The Word Cloud

According to Abacus Data a full service research company out of Ottawa Ontario - the "Word Cloud" above represents the frequency of which certain words occurred when Canadians polled were asked to write 3 words that come to mind when thinking about Newfoundland and Labrador.

The larger the word the more frequently it was used. So let's have a look shall we?

1. The really big words: Cold - Fishing - Beautiful - Far

So it would appear Canadians recognize our fishery more than we do - particularly our politicians.

It would also seem that beautiful means the tourism ads are working with respect to that but we may have appeared to come across as too remote.

2. The Big Words are: East - Ocean - Friendly - Remote

Best I can tell Canadians know we are the East of the country despite the media referring to Quebec and Ontario as East.

Once again the word ocean draws people back to a fishing heritage.

Friendly is a given - although more obvious in rural communities.

Remote makes it seem too distant than it actually is from many provinces. 

3. The next size sees the following words enter in: Fish - Rock - People - Isolated - Island

Back to the fishery we go and then that awful term "Rock" which always applied to the Island - speaking of which comes up in this round of words. Clearly the thought that Newfoundland and Labrador is together as one province escapes the image we portray.

Isolated is another term that for most people means negative. Are we isolated because part of the province is an Island or does it also include Labrador because it's North?

There is no doubt that transportation is an issue no matter where in the province you reside or operate a business. Between ferry woes, airline route fluctuations, and highways throughout that are in shameful states of disrepair - the cost of visiting or living here is too high. This is what makes us isolated. Iceland, Greenland, Australia, and many other remote locations are not considered "isolated" and as a result their tourism and industrial results are much better.

4. Now let's look at the tiny words - one's that should be bold and in your face large: Whales, Icebergs, Tourism, Nature, Economy, Seafood, Offshore, Jobs, Scenery, Funny, Canada and Provinces.

These are the attributes we want to sell to the world - yet clearly the message is not getting through. Our economy and the benefits of being "isolated" such as beautiful scenery and nature being overshadowed by words like "rock" and "newfie". Not surprisingly - the only people who truly see this province as part of Canada are our own. We are viewed as an outport of Nova Scotia or worse a field of natural resources extracted for the benefit of others.

For all the comedic talent we clearly possess - either our successful comics and actors are not considered to be Newfoundlanders and Labradorians or the joke must simply be on us.

Finally the words that do not appear at all: Resources, Energy, Have, Churchill Falls, Hydro, Industry, and Intelligent.

This should really drive the point home. We are here and part of Canada for the singular purpose of providing wealth to others. So much for the youngest, hippest, coolest province right Danny?

This is just another cloud over our heads and we need to deal with our less than acceptable terms of Confederation and rid ourselves of inept, self-centred, partisan, and vindictive politicians.

Jerome the Bully looking for Protection - on International Women's Day?

International Women's Day has been usurped by a partisan bully that can not stand in the House of Assembly and pretend to give a damn about women's rights, respect for women, bullying of women, and the reputation of a woman or women as long as he attempts to intimidate one woman.

This year's theme is:

Strong Women, Strong Canada –
Women in Rural, Remote and Northern Communities: Key to Canada's Economic Prosperity

Minister Kennedy - I as one woman who is involved in the private sector - can tell you that I feel you have tried to intimidate me - intimidate those I work with - and attempted to damage my professional reputation. You and your government have on many occasions made me feel uncomfortable, attempted to intimidate me, treated me differently than other citizens employed in my type of work, and alienated me from due process afforded to all citizens.


You Minister Kennedy sit next to Darin King - Minister of Fisheries - who openly bullied an entire organization because he felt one person involved in that organization was criticizing him.


Your colleague, the Premier is a woman and has no problem attacking women who criticize her. The Premier has no problem calling people names while not having the guts to name them individually.


The Minister - who was the subject of this purported intimidation - herself has no problem treating a woman with contempt - if that woman disagrees with her government.

The partisan zealotry of this government goes beyond anything I have ever witnessed and if it happens to be a woman who challenges the policies of this government - there is no hesitation in attacking that individual whenever the opportunity arises.

The Premier may be a woman and there may be women who sit in senior Cabinet portfolios - but I can tell you that some of women residing in the rural, remote, and northern communities that I represent - are not getting the decency of a hearing from this government.

The nonsense demonstrated in the House of Assembly today is a continued attack on women by using an event - saving it for this day - to satisfy male political egos.

If this administration is consistant - there will be a cost to me for this post.

Let's be Darin "King" as he sits on his HOA Throne

I feel a natural high today - I have power.

I have the power to take money from the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and spend it as I wish.

I have the power to remove support from the FFAW because they criticize me.

I have the power to threaten members on the other side of the House of Assembly.

I was born a King but now I have become King.

I can say what I want to whomever I want because I have the power.

I can call people names - and if they don't like it - my government and I have the power to punish them.

But I am only King over people - ordinary citizens - I must remember my real masters.

I know it looks hypocritical for me to do it to Earle McCurdy but not to Ches Penney - but I must remember.

I am Darin - Darin the King and I have power.

My party is so powerful - I have even more power.

I am not a servant of the people I am King.

I can hide in the House of Assembly on my throne - where I have power - and I can attack the FFAW - they do not sit in here.

I am King - listen to me - I am King.

I am not a bully - I am King - and the FFAW better get used to it.

I do not bully - I rule with power - absolute power - and my subjects would do well to remember that.

I do not have to answer questions - off with their heads.

I am King - and as you can see - I am all powerful. Let that be a warning to you.

Translated - I completely lack self-confidence, bully to protect my weaknesses, and abuse power because it makes me feel good. I am a teacher - don't you know - and you better learn NOW!

Dr. Phil Earle responds to Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield

Below please find a response to Federal Fisheries Minister - Keith Ashfield from Dr. Phil Earle

 

Dear Minister Ashfield, March 1/2012

Part 1  

I would like to respond to your letter in a step wise manner, and I would like for you to answer my comments for the people of this province.

First what does “..we are time and again being out-performed by smaller countries with less access to the resource” refer to? Are you talking about NAFO countries that fish on our shelf, such as Spain? If it is, the answer is Spain has one of the largest fishing fleets in the world which is subsidized nearly a billion dollars a year by the EU to fish around the world.

Further if you and the DFO are inferring that we should therefore increase our efforts to catch more fish it would be a totally wrong conclusion. Our ground fish stocks have never recovered and are at an all-time low of less than 10% of historic healthy levels. We need to stop the fishing destruction that is occurring at present so the stocks can be allowed to recover. That includes the fishing inside our 200 mile EEZ and that of NAFO fleets fishing on the nose and tail of the grand banks.

Quote, “everyone is demanding change in how we manage the resource.” This is a non-specific remark that can be taken in a range all the way from more of the disastrous federal government’s mismanagement that has, and is destroying the resource to reducing government involvement in management while letting more influence in management from improved, prudent, scientific input like is done in other successful countries like Norway and Iceland.

 
“Canadian fishermen remain among the lowest earners in Canada.’ This is because the bulk of our resource and its profits are in the hands of a few powerful, wealthy people who own processing operations, and own quotas which your government gave to them. They operate factory freezer trawlers which have taken thousands of jobs away from inshore fishers while they send unprocessed fish away from our shore planets, giving jobs to foreign nation. Many harvesters’ licences are owned or contorted by corporations so that fishers working at sea have been squeezed out of their incomes by the need of companies to increase their profits.

 
There are people, such as doctors and dentists and the like, living on the main land who have never stepped on the deck of a boat who own fish quota’s, they receive millions of dollars a year from royalties on fish being caught. There is only so much profit that can be taken out of each season of fishing, if large percentages of this limited profit is taken by such ‘outsiders’ there is less and less for our fishers and plant workers.

 
Consider that in 1992, the year of the moratorium, our NL fishery was worth some $350 million and today it is near $900 million but yet our situation is worst then in 92 as we are losing more jobs and plants, fishers and coastal communities. So it’s easy to understand why our fishers are among the lowest earners in Canada, it is just economics 101. You can understand that can’t you?

“Canada’s fishery is becoming a smaller and smaller player on the world stage. We are no longer seeing the abundance of fish that our country enjoyed in the past, so we can no longer rely on the quantity of this renewable resource to create economic prosperity; better management practices are required. Our government has been making strides in helping the fishery.’

Our fishery is smaller because the bio mass of our fish is at an all-time low, the stocks have been destroyed are not allowed to recover because of mismanagement of the federal government. Your government wants to create economic prosperity for the elite few who now control the fishery.

Part 2  

Continuing the same practices that you have created in the past for giant corporations that has destroyed, and is, and will totally destroy the rest of the resource in the future if you continue in the manner you are implying in this letter.

 
The only way you can create further economic prosperity for anyone from our depleted, dying resource is for less and less peoples and corporations to take more and more of the less and less fish. You know what that means don’t you. In 10 years there will be no fishers, no plant workers, no comminutes in coastal NL and lastly no fishing corporations..because there will be no more fish.

Your government has been making strides in one direction, not in the direction of helping the fishery, but in the direct of destroying it, destroying our treasured heritage and our coastal communities, our maritime culture and our family structure. That is a Fact!

In 62 years of confederation you have taken away our spirit fish, by giving it indifferently to foreign countries, denied its access from our coastal people, and allowed cooperate greed to privatize and garbage can our legacy. You and you alone, the federal government of Canada, have destroyed the spirit of my people, whose ancestors were once the greatest fishermen in the world, the greatest sea people that ever lived.

”We must find ways to make the fishery more valuable, profitable and respectful of the resource for future generations.” If by value you mean the economic success of a few large processing companies there will be no respect of the resource, the fish stocks that god gave us, and in a few short years it will be no more. Your concern for “future generations” in that case is not just hollow, political, empty words they are the insensitive, thoughtless comments from a government who conducts themselves with absolute power, that have corrupted it absolutely.

Your corruption of power and ego is so complete that not only will it destroy the opportunities of our “future generations” of children; it would destroy that of your own children. Take a bow to the world Mr. Ashfield; take one for Canada to the world!

And as for the World Bank suggesting what we should do with our fishery for more money, they have a great record of being concerned for the global economy and the plight of the world starving peoples, who are in the 100's of millions. Their 100's of billions in profits and 100's of millions of dollars for salaries to their CEO’s really show how concerned they are for incomes of subsistence fisheries and laborers all over the world. They are concerned because it’s off the backs of labor industries that they cream off their billions, all on the backs of the struggling poor. Take another bow to the world Mr. Minister, for figuring out that you can squeeze out a few more million for the rich by abusing the lives of the fisher people.

All this ”.. means more jobs and more economic growth in our coastal and rural regions.”
The audaciousness of this remark is beyond my ability to express. How dare you write a letter and say such a thing about our fishery and to my people, and put it in our paper the telegram. You talk about more jobs and more economic growth in our coastal communities when you and the federal government are directly responsible in 20 years for destroying our families, fishers and fisheries jobs by the 10's of thousands. 

Part 3  

What you, and the federal government, are advocating in this letter will destroy our coastal way of life. Our NL soldiers fought in the great wars for Canada and the free world. Fought to protect their children’s, and their children’s children democratic rights as written in Canada’s ‘Chartered Bill of Rights’. If there is an ounce of decency anywhere in the halls of parliament or in the hearts of any person or member who works there I ask for it to be used to do the duty they have sworn to do. Administer to the costal people of NL, and their fishery, the principles so outlined in our bill of rights. Save us from the impending future genocide of our coastal way of life.

You asked for my engagement in this letter, of how we can better manage our Fishery for the future and how our coastal people can improve and save their lives. I have given you my honest answer to the best of my ability, so help me god.

Will you answer these questions for my people? The fisher people, the sea people of NL?

Philip Earle
B.Sc., M.Sc., M.D

OCI's Written Criticisms of Darin King and Government

The following are statements made by Ocean Choice International (OCI) in official Media Releases. 

"At the core of the issue is overregulation in the fishing industry. The company says this is the only fishing jurisdiction in the world with restrictions which impede the growth of the fishing industry and make it uncompetitive in the global marketplace."

"Martin Sullivan, President and CEO of Ocean Choice International, said today his company has been very cooperative with the provincial government regarding the current proposals on flatfish and redfish, and he was disappointed to hear government make comments to the contrary late last week. Sullivan said remarks by fisheries minister Darin King have left global customers, employees and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador questioning the credibility of the company, something he said should never have happened."

"Ocean Choice International remains committed to addressing required change in the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, its CEO, Martin Sullivan, said today. The company is deeply disappointed, however, in the provincial government’s public remarks today that call into question the company’s credibility as a significant employer in the fishing industry in the province."

Based on Darin King's actions toward the FFAW for criticizing the government - what does he have planned for OCI?

To read the three Media Releases Press HERE

Darin King about to investigate OCI Operations? Fin in Mouth disease!

So our Fisheries Minister continued today - on a local talk show - to prove that his government is vindictive toward critics.

The Minister was all over the place unsure if he was against criticism or not - for punishment or not - in charge or not - or simply too frustrated to do his job.

The Minister now wants to restate his position from yesterday - when he informed Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that they may be punished if they criticize the government. Today he removed a million bucks from the FFAW because union chief Earl MacCurdy said the government was not spending it's money in the right places - within the industry.

So the Minister wants us to believe that of the over 50 million spent by government - only 1/50th of which is for special projects with the union - the only immediate concern was that of the FFAW. Darin you believe that Earl was saying that their projects were not worthwhile - so it was okay to start by cutting that?

No you did not believe that Minister King - do not lie. The FFAW was questioning how some investments of the government in the fishery might not be the best investments - so you - without any investigation cut the funds of the one group that spoke out?

Have you in any way contributed to the well-being of OCI? Have the people of Newfoundland and Labrador contributed any funds in any way whatsoever to that company? Has the government provided in any way - policy decisions - that were favourable to OCI?

I recall that OCI criticized King for denying its request for unprocessed export. The government has granted them exemptions in the past - right? Now that Ches and Company have criticized the Minister - how will they be punished?

King went on to talk about the frustration he feels when the FFAW talk about things that he (provincial fisheries Minister) does not have jurisdiction over (fish quota's). Minister - has the government stepped in on quota allocations before?

Where did OCI get all these assets anyway? Was FPI sold? What was sold? Buy it back.

While we are at it - now that OCI has criticized government - will you Minister King launch a full review of their operations and determine if government should be supporting anything at all that it asks for?

As for pointing the finger at the feds and saying it's them not us - and we can't criticize them because they punish critics - the same way you do - then we are all in a mess.

Perhaps it's time for Darin to be shuffled before he puts more fins in mouth.

Loyola Sullivan and his "messiah’s fisheries salvation"

Please read below a response by Dr. Phil Earle to Loyola Sullivan's address to the NL Employers' Council. 

The Sullivan's presentations this week, at the Newfoundland and Labrador Employers’ Council’s annual awards luncheon and appearances in the media, has been nothing but public deception. L Sullivan’s speech preposterously pontificated the salvation of our fishing industry and our fisher people. His pronouncements are nothing more than that of a personal, brain locked, cooperate philosophy, one which is destroying our Fishery.

The knowledge that explains the truth in the facts of the references that Mr. Sullivan used to support his messiah’s fisheries salvation of "the only way forward in the fishery’ ' is to modernize it the way I'm telling you', is not the saving of our fisheries future but it’s result will be, if followed, it’s tragedy. This is a destructive corporate philosophy,.. and efforts must be made to try and dissuade the influence it may have on Minister King and our government, dissuade them from giving what’s left of our resource over to OCI.

Imagine the audacity of saying that they know how to save and improve the fishery when they are directly responsible for closing numerous plants in 5 years, pitting our coastal people against each other...Marystown against Fortune, the trawlermen against trawlermen, saying members of the union are at odds with their union leaders. All the while they are sending fish out of here not processed, giving value added jobs by the thousands to elsewhere, and wanting all they can get to be FFT processed or given to Asia raw.

They have pitted industry people against each other, say that the government is harming them and the industry, and that we have an attitude in the province, of fishing like we did in the past and it is holding us back, all of which will destroy the Industry! The fact of it is what they are doing, from their powerful position in the industry, will lead to its total collapse... if.... our governments continue allowing them to rule the roost.

If OCI is allow to dictate the future of how we harvest and process our fish at home, in 10 years they will be out of business themselves, as will the industry as we know it. All that will remain will be the royalties they will receive from having Spanish fleets, and the like, fish their quotas. That is if there is anything left.

Imagine saying our government is not letting them compete with the rest of the world, when it has been their style of ineffectual competing which is destroying the stocks, harvesters, plant workers and their coastal way of life.

I get this image of our fishery... of a sock you missed in the washing machine, which is in the machine the next time you go to wash...a little squeezed up ball at the bottom and you reach in and take it out ....a cold, wet, bedraggled item. Our fishery is this beat up overlooked trashed out piece, of what was once part of something much, much larger, but is now something uncomfortable to touch or be involved with. And we have made it that way.

I hope to god, for the sake of our children and grandchildren that our government sees through this insanity of the ‘running of our fishery’ by the corporate book of modernization and success...because that will be, if permitted, the ruining of the fishery through the monopoly of greed and the insatiable wants of self.

Mother Nature has protected our fish stocks for eons, saving them from predations, diseases, shifts of temperatures and currents, the ice ages and the drift of continents ...but in all her wisdom she is not able to save our fish from fools. Only governments can do that.

Phil Earle

Loyola is Conflicted by the Conflict. Wanted - Unemployed Plant Workers

Is it possible for any of these people to remove themselves from the teat of taxpayer dollars or public resources?

Loyola does not believe he is in a conflict of interest - and - yep - I'm sure he doesn't. That's because he comes from a "fishing" family and community.

Come on people the Sullivan boys are only trying to keep themselves afloat. They are worried just like plant workers and fishers that they might not be able to pay the mortgage or help their children with college.

Come on people - remember all the good things Loyola accomplished as the most continuous sitting member on the Commission of Internal Economy. Look at the oversight. He sat there for years while our tax dollars were being fraudulently withdrawn by several of his colleagues - and he did not know or see a thing. In 2002 the Commission was offended by the Auditor General, Beth Marshall and a News Release in part stated,

The members of the Commission of Internal Economy are both surprised and disappointed by the report of the Auditor General with respect to her comments on the accountability of MHAs’ Constituency Allowances.
The Auditor General stated that she is unable to fulfill her responsibility under the Auditor General Act to complete the audit of payments made to members from public monies. The Auditor General has left the impression that the Auditor General Act and the Financial Administration Act have in some way been violated and that there is no accountability for members’district allowances. This is simply not true. An audit must take place. The Auditor General Act has not been violated.
 
Yes Loyola - and then you took a cushy position from Prime Minister Stephen the Liar - after just sitting in a provincial Cabinet under Danny Williams that deemed him untrustworthy and an enemy of Newfoundland and Labrador. But what the heck - right Loyola? A little lie here and there never hurt anybody. Reminds me about the time you were concerned that people would talk a little bit about your colleague Charlie Power - when he reneged on giving up one pension.

What is your thinking Loyola? Do the people owe you a living? Do they owe you natural resources to ship out as you please? You Loyola asking to ship out raw fish! You who turned purple in the face at the thought of one ounce of Voisey's Bay nickel leaving the province - unprocessed. Remember?

WANTED

A group of unemployed fisherman and plant workers to buy some fish quotas - real cheap - land at $300 dollars an acre - and to seek water rights on a few dozen rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador to dam off and produce power. Not hard to become a multi-millionaire if the deal is right. While we are waiting - let's pave a few kilometers over and over and over.

Minister Darin King's Fishy News Release

Below please find the News Release by Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture - Darin King.

I will highlight the concerns that I have with the statement. It looks like a public to and fro to demonstrate that the government is "protecting" our assets and people - but will the outcome at the end if the process give OCI what they want?

This looks like nothing more than a charade. I therefore will expect that OCI will attempt to pay off the people making noise by coming up with a package. King actually makes the complete case for OCI - and presents why OCI is having problems and how they understand this. If I were to guess I would suggest that what we were looking at here is exactly the deal that has been cut already with OCI. That's my take. Let's see what transpires. Export away - just not today.

 

Ocean Choice International’s Redfish and Yellowtail
Proposals Rejected by Provincial Government

After an extensive evaluation and review, the Provincial Government announced today that it is not satisfied that the redfish and yellowtail proposals presented by Ocean Choice International (OCI) provide the maximum possible benefit for the province.

“The Provincial Government sees no other option but to reject the groundfish proposals submitted by Ocean Choice International,” said the Honoruable Darin King, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “This decision is based on consideration for what is in the best interest of the people of this province. Government wanted to secure a long-term commitment on former Fishery Products International quotas. These quotas are currently held between the province and OCI, through the Quota Holdco agreement established in 2007. We also sought enhanced benefits in relation to Fortune, and adequate support for displaced workers at Marystown and Port Union.”

On January 25, the Provincial Government met with officials from Ocean Choice International and clearly outlined its position in relation to the proposals. Unfortunately, the company showed no flexibility at that time. The company was given time to reconsider but has not come forth with a revised proposal to date. 

“We recognize that this is a difficult situation for OCI,” said Minister King. “Their predecessors, Fishery Products International, faced similar challenges and had comparable financial results. The economic circumstances for yellowtail and redfish remain challenging, particularly with the appreciation of the Canadian dollar and high fuel costs.” 

OCI’s financial circumstances for groundfish operations have been independently verified by the financial consulting firm Deloitte. The market outlook for redfish and flatfish has also been independently verified by the McDowell Group, a research-based consulting firm. The McDowell Group report can be found at http://www.fishaq.gov.nl.ca/publications/nl_flounder_and_redfish_report.pdf.

The Provincial Government requested 10 million pounds of flatfish to be processed in Fortune which is marginal compared to the overall global harvest of 750,000 tonnes. The Provincial Government’s analysis shows that the overall groundfish operation will achieve positive, albeit modest earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Secondly, OCI indicated the desire to have the landing obligations associated with the company’s licence extinguished when the Quota Holdco agreement is due for renewal in approximately five years. While the Provincial Government is willing to consider multi-year exemptions, it believes that under the current circumstances it is possible that quotas would be lost to the province entirely and the resource could be landed elsewhere without any value to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Minister King also noted today that he is disappointed that no action has been taken for displaced workers with regards to the Provincial Government’s request for the company to provide a top-up to the current Fish Plant Worker Employment Support Program. The company and the union have not met to advance these discussions.

“The Provincial Government’s analysis shows positive results by moving yellowtail production to Fortune and an export exemption being granted for the remainder of yellowtail landings and redfish,” said Minister King. “However, given the current circumstances, I have no choice but to reject OCI’s proposals. While government recognizes that reorganization and rationalization in the fishing industry is essential to our long-term success, we will continue to ensure the best possible outcome for the province for the present and for the future. Our government remains receptive if OCI wishes to reconsider their position.”

- 30 - 

Dr. Phil Earle weighs in on OCI and Exporting Policy

Dear Minister King, Jan 31/2012

At a time when both you and the Premier have made comments recently, pertaining to what power or right our government has on influencing NL companies which export our resources, I would like to communicate my concern on our practice of exporting raw and partially processed fish to foreign markets.

No doubt in some situations it would be appropriate for private companies to export raw, or otherwise partially processed products, out of our province. In this situation the company makes a profit, provides some jobs here and generally adds to the GDP of the province. However it is a totally different situation for the province, our government, our GDP and our people if the bulk, or large amounts, of these resources are shipped in this manner.

An example of this point is unfolding right now in our mining industry with the opening of the new mine in Labrador, where one company bidding for the contract, wants to ship out raw ore creating 200 jobs, and another who wants to produce concentrate pellets here creating 1700 jobs. The value added jobs and economic input into the communities of Labrador by our processing of the ore , may not provide the company with a big % of profit, but it will have multiple, far reaching positive affects into the future of the province, even after the mine is gone.

The fisheries equivalent to this situation is the shipping out of our unprocessed and partially processed fish to China and EU countries, such as that which our province is now facing with the OCI. Naturally a company that ships out some raw fish, gets a high % of profit, creates some jobs and adds some value to the province. But shipping out the bulk of our resource in this manner destroys many more jobs then it creates, creates little, or zero, value added affect for our coastal communities and province.

On the other hand a company that processes ashore and then sells to higher end market’s in places like the USA and UK would create 100's of processing and value added jobs, and add over all wealth to our communities and our province. This over all increased value, provided to our people, would further input and strengthen our infrastructure, support and lift our coastal towns and spirit.

Dr. Phil Earle

Avoiding Policy Errors? OCI proposal.

Below please find letter to Darin King re: OCI proposal.

Hon. Darin King,

Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture,
St.John's

Minister King,
                        

Before you make your final decision on the OCI proposal  to export round fish,  you should know  that a very high percentage of the turbot, redfish and as well a high percentage of the yellowtails as well are undersized and continuing this export will do irreparable damage to any hope of groundfish recovery in N&L.   This will be a major policy error on the part of any responsible government and there is no doubt this fact will become well known to all concerned in due time.

 A short time ago we received a call from an office in St. John's  where a gillnetter owner and three of his crew members asked us to meet and discuss the turbot fishery they were involved in off Northern Labrador and Baffin. They have been involved in that turbot fishery for a few years and exporting frozen turbot with heads and tails removed.. They indicated the prices they were receiving for the unprocessed fish and as well for the heads and tails which were packed separately.  However, they are deeply concerned that the turbot fishery will be totally destroyed within the next two/three years at the rate these small fish are now harvested by the larger FFTs of which there are a substantial number now exporting these undersized fish with practically no supervision or control. According to them the turbot are very small, far too young to reproduce and the resource will be destroyed in a short time. Some fish, according to them were the length of your hand. They were asking us to give the matter as much publicity as possible, even though they are involved as gillnetters in the same fishery.  They feel the damage being done by the FFTs is enormous.

We have informed DFO accordingly and requested they immediately investigate the warning passed along to us by those fishermen and owner of the vessel.
We should also make you aware, if you don’t already know that the redfish which is being referred to these days are tiny fish, especially from  the Grand Banks, 3NO areas.  If we had any semblance of fisheries management by DFO or NAFO there would not be any fishery carried out on that slow growing species.

Additionally, it’s remarkable that N&L based FFT owners are responsible for the traditional by catch rate of 5 percent on American Plaice raised to 13 percent at a recent NAFO meeting.  Raising that by catch level to such a high level  will definitely prevent any hope whatever of recovery of that very valuable AP species which was the life blood of the south coast plants for twenty five years before the moratorium.

Minister, this business of exporting such a high percentage of small fish in all three of those species is a very important matter that must  be investigated and cannot be ignored. A political decision to continue exporting those small fish which, without question, is so detrimental to recovery of the resource will be proven to be disastrous to this province in the long term. We bring this matter to your attention and would recommend very strongly that it be discussed with DFO officials who should know it's fundamentally wrong and against every fisheries management principle to permit the harvesting of undersized fish.

Gus Etchegary
Chair
Fishery Community Alliance

PS.  If we make the most disastrous decision we could possibly make and continue the export of unprocessed fish containing as well the high percentage of small undersized fish, the European Fishing nations of NAFO and other fishing pirates will have a field day at Canada's expense. They will effectively ridicule us by stating the fact that both levels of Government (Canada and N&L) are the main contributors to the final demise of our N&L fishery.

CC  Premier Dunderdale