Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell will present Nova Scotia’s position on the Last-In, First-Out policy for the northern shrimp fishery on Friday, June 10, when a federal advisory panel is in Halifax.

The session is part of an external review being conducted in Nunavut, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia by the Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. The purpose of the meetings is to hear from stakeholders whether the Last-In, First-Out policy specific to the northern shrimp fishery should be continued, modified or abolished.

“The value of Nova Scotia’s seafood exports is $1.678 billion, with shrimp bringing in $131 million,” said Mr. Colwell. “Taking into consideration the current state of our northern shrimp fishery, the province is in favour of maintaining the Last-In, First-Out policy to ensure our shrimp fishery is maintained and not depleted, and I look forward to sharing this with the panel.”

Nova Scotia companies are offshore licence holders that participate in the northern shrimp fishery. Several were pioneers that developed the fishery. In the late 1990s, due to increased stock, the fishery expanded and new licence holders were included. The Last-In, First-Out policy was adopted then to protect original license holders. It stated new entrants would leave the fishery if the stock declined.

In recent years, the shrimp stock has declined and new entrants were removed from the fishery, but that policy is now being reviewed.

“Nova Scotia companies relied on that protection when they agreed to expand the fishery,” said Mr. Colwell. “Last-In, First-Out protects the offshore fleet who were the original participants in the fishery and it needs to remain.”

For more information visit
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/peches-fisheries/comm/shrimp-crevette/shrimp-crevette-eng.htm

Source: Release