Fishermen in Region Two, the eastern half of Cape Breton from the Inverness-Victoria County line to Port Hawkesbury, will vote on being represented by an accredited organization under the Fish Harvesters Organizations Support Act.

“We all want the fishery in Nova Scotia to be a strong, viable industry, now and into the future, in order to sustain wealth in our coastal communities,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell.

Before the voting deadline, staff of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture will hold information sessions at three locations around Region Two. These sessions will give fishermen the opportunity to ask questions about the Fish Harvesters Organization Support Act.

Locations and dates for the information sessions are as follows:
— Monday, Sept. 22, Cambridge Suites, 380 Esplanade, Sydney,
6 – 7:30 p.m.
— Tuesday, Sept. 23, Keltic Lodge, 383 Keltic In Rd., Ingonish, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
— Wednesday, Sept. 24, Tara Lynne Community Centre, River Bourgeois, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

A French-speaking moderator will available at the River Bourgeois meeting.

A positive vote will mean organizations can apply for accreditation and then the fishermen can join any of the accredited groups. Being a part of an accredited group will make it easier for their interests to move ahead and for the industry to grow. The Fish Harvesters Organization Support Act was introduced in 2011 to make it easier for fishing regions to hold a vote.

Ballots have been mailed to eligible voters. They must be returned by mail and postmarked no later than Friday, Oct. 3.

Region One, which includes the western half of Cape Breton and gulf part of the mainland and Region Three, the Eastern Shore, have already voted in favour of being represented by an accredited organization.

For more information on the sessions contact John Bueglas at 1-800-639-7030, Eugene Samson at 902-226-2787 or Nicole Sampson at 902-631-1476.

Source: Release