New Measures to Further Enforce PIIFCAF Policy

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 24, 2015) -

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today issued the following statement:

I'm pleased to announce that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has launched new measures to further enforce the policy on Preserving the Independence of the Inshore Fleet in Canada's Atlantic Fisheries (PIIFCAF). These industry-led measures, developed in collaboration with the Canadian Independent Fish Harvester's Federation, aim to strengthen the current PIIFCAF policy and address the issue of harvesters who are not compliant with PIIFCAF or the policies it was designed to protect.

As Minister of Fisheries and Oceans I strongly believe that an independent inshore commercial fishing fleet is an important element of an economically prosperous Atlantic Canada. This is why we established the Policy for Preserving the Independence of the Inshore Fleet in Canada's Atlantic Fisheries (PIIFCAF). Simply put, this policy ensures that the benefits of fishing licences flow to licence holders who are directly involved in their industry.

I'm pleased to report that PIIFCAF has led to hundreds of fish harvesters taking back control of their enterprise and the termination of many controlling agreements.

As Minister, I have been granted the authority to adopt policies such as PIIFCAF to ensure the proper management and control of our fisheries, and to manage, conserve and develop the fishery on behalf of Canadians. For this reason, I strongly believe it is in Canada's best interest - and particularly in the interest of those who are actively involved in Canada's Atlantic fishery - that I take further action to enforce compliance with PIIFCAF. This way we can be sure that the social and economic benefits of the fishing licence remain in the hands of harvesters and their communities.

I am confident that these measures will further enhance PIIFCAF and the policies it was meant to protect. The Government of Canada remains fully committed to PIIFCAF and will continue to work with industry to ensure the inshore fleet remains economically prosperous for future generations.

Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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