'Real change' needed in fishery management, group says

An advocacy group for fish harvesters across the country says the federal Liberal government needs tofollow throughon itselection promises for people who fish for a living.

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We need to get rid of this top-down decision-making by people who nothing about the fishery.- Marc Allain

MarcAllain,with theCanadian Federation of Independent Fish Harvesters,said that fishery management needs to be doneby the people involved with the fishery.

He added that it should be done on a regional basis and not by people in Ottawa with little knowledge of how the fisheryoperates.

"It makes no sense that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is making decisions about when you open or close your fishery or what the colour of a piece of plastic on a lobster pot should be," said Allain.

"We need to get rid of this top-down decision-making by people who know nothing about the fishery."

Real change

Allainsaid in the past fishery conservation has meant justto stop fishing.

The group is presenting a document to Federal Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo to let him know what "Real Change" the slogan that the Liberal party used in October's electionmeans to the fishery.

"For real change, we get back to saying our fisheries are about providing decent livelihoods and good jobs for the people who fishand that the benefits of fishing flow back to the people who fish and to fishing communities."