Minister Shea Announces New Measures to Strengthen Inshore Fleets in Atlantic Canada

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 24, 2015) - Today, the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, announced new measures to further enforce the policy on Preserving the Independence of the Inshore Fleet in Canada's Atlantic Fisheries (PIIFCAF).

The industry-led measures, developed in collaboration with the Canadian Independent Fish Harvester's Federation, aim to strengthen the current PIIFCAF policy and address areas that some harvesters and others may be circumventing.

The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of a strong inshore fleet where the harvester is both owner and operator of the enterprise and the benefits of the licences flow to the harvester and coastal communities.

Quick Facts

• PIIFCAF was implemented in 2007 to strengthen the Owner Operator and Fleet Separation policies, which were being compromised by the proliferation of controlling agreements. While hundreds of harvesters have complied with PIIFCAF and taken back control of their enterprise, there remain a number of controlling agreements.
  
  
• A controlling agreement is an agreement between a licence holder (harvester) and an individual or entity that permits someone other than the harvester to have control or influence over the licence.
  
  
• These measures will take effect in the 2015 fishing season and are available on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.
  
  
• The Canadian Independent Fish Harvester's Federation brings together 34 different organizations representing individual fish harvesters who own and operate their own fishing vessels in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, Quebec and British Columbia.
  
  

Quotes
"I strongly believe it is in our best interest and particularly in the interest of those who are actively involved in Canada's Atlantic fishery, that I 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 these measures will further enhance PIIFCAF and the policies it was meant to protect, and remain fully committed to PIIFCAF and to ensuring the inshore fleet remains economically prosperous for future generations."

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

"Minister Shea's decisive measures are very good news for Canadian fishermen especially the inshore fleets throughout Atlantic Canada. Fishermen have been calling for something like this for years. They want fishing licences kept in the hands of the people who actually fish and they want to see the existing rules firmly enforced. Minister Shea has taken an extremely important step to make this happen. This will be very positive for fisheries conservation, for the future of fishing families and the economic well-being of our fishing communities and especially good news for young people interested in getting into the Atlantic fishery."

Christian Brun, President, Canadian Independent Fish Harvester's Federation

Related Products

- Ministerial Statement: New Measures to Further Enforce PIIFCAF Policy

Associated Links

- New Measures to Further Enforce PIIFCAF Policy

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