In her statement Shea made it clear that the lobster fishery in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence employs thousands of harvesters, crews and plant workers and is the backbone of hundreds of coastal communities. She also said that the government very well know the value of the lobster fishery and wants it to be sustainable and viable for today’s fish harvesters and for future generations.
According to Shea the government is committed to working with industry to make this happen. She also added that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is currently consulting 3,500 license holders across Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia and five Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs). She explained that they have common aim to share the goal of a sustainable, viable lobster fishery. And she welcomes and encourages everyone who works in the lobster fishery to take part in this process.
According to Shea the department has already held workshops with harvester representatives in the fall of 2008 to develop long-term objectives to sustain the lobster fishery. She informed that they are taking great care in order to get this process right.
