P.E.I. Fishermen's Association pleased with Fisheries Act changes

The P.E.I. Fishermen's Association likes what it's heard so far from the federal government about long-promised changes to the federal Fisheries Act.

The government will spend $284.2 million to restore protections lost under the Conservative Harper government and to introduce new ones in the proposed legislation, announced Tuesday.

"The money for protection, we can use that. It'll hire more fishery officers," said Bobby Jenkins, the association's president.

Island fishermen had been calling for some of these changes locally for years, he said, including protection for fish habitat.

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They'd like to see the same number of fisheries officers in P.E.I. as in New Brunswick, Jenkins said.

"We have people getting into this industry now paying anywhere of half a million dollars to $750,000," Jenkins said. "These people have a big investment we want the resource looked after."

Jenkins is also hopeful the new act will entrench the current "owner-operator" policy in law, something many fishermen have called for. The policy protects independent licence holders, keeping big fishing companies out of the inshore fishery.

Government has been battling controlling agreements side deals where a fisherman hands control and use of a licence to a third party,usually a company.

"I'd just like to commend the government on getting this thing done. We've waited a long time," said Jenkins.

Jenkins is still looking through the act, but said he's pleased with what he's read so far.

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