The inshore fishery is of New Brunswick is under threat of extinct as the situation is certainly not very satisfactory. Michel Richard, an organizer with the Union, said that they have been asking for government aid, but it’s not coming. He told that they feel very let down by the federal government.
Richard also confirmed that last week’s federal budget favoured the auto and forestry sectors, and gave little or no attention to the plight of fishermen. He argues the local fishery has been in crisis since 2001 – long before Ontario’s auto sector began to struggle. If things do not change many local fishermen will have to retire without any choice, says Richard.
He explained that Ottawa should start by buying out some local fishing licences, to reduce the number of fishermen on the water. He added that the resource cannot handle the amount of fishermen in the industry. He continued saying that it is difficult for the fishermen in New Brunswick as 50,000 jobs in the province depend on the fishery. The current government turn deaf ear to the woes of the fishery. Ann Matejicka, a spokeswoman with the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the budget includes $400 million in programs that will aid the fishing and marine sectors.
