Under the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy, the Provincial Government has announced that the province will now operate under revised seafood processing policy framework. The government informed that the revised framework includes more rigorous policies in relation to the issuance of new processing licences, tighter policy guidelines for the transfer of licences and opportunities for the combining of the existing value-added (snap-and-eat) crab licences.
The Honourable Trevor Taylor, acting Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, opined that this policy framework is designed to help address the overcapacity in the seafood processing sector. He added that with this revised framework the Fish Processing Licensing Board will have more clear guidelines in reviewing licence applications. This will provide for a more transparent process overall. It will also provide more viable processing plants for harvesters and more secure employment for plant workers.
According to the revised policy framework no new licences will be issued unless existing resource thresholds are met province-wide. As well, under the revised framework licences cannot be transferred on a species-by-species basis. Minister Taylor told that with the implementation of the recommendations in the Dunne Report of 2003, a large number of inactive and marginally active licences were eliminated.
The Provincial Government said that under the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy it would strengthen the processing policy framework to include more rigorous policies related to the issuance of new licences, a more restrictive transfer policy on cancellation of licences and a clear policy on the limited circumstances under which the province will consider responding when a plant closes.
