Above: Bernadette Jordan. Photo courtesy of bjordan.liberal.ca
The appointment of South Shore-St. Margaret’s Member of Parliament Bernadette Jordan as the new federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard has industry representatives in Nova Scotia optimistic.
“I’m just as happy as I can be,” said Kevin Ross, president of Brazil Rock 33/34 fishermen’s association. “I’ve worked a lot with her in the last three years. She’s gotten me meetings with both Dominic LeBlanc and Jonathan Wilkinson. She’s been at our meetings. She’s not somebody you’ve got to bring up to date. She knows everything that’s going on in southwest Nova” including marine protected area (MPA) concerns, small craft harbour needs and native issues, he noted.
Colin Sproul, president of the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association (BFIFA) said his association “is very pleased” with the appointment.
“The BFIFA already has a good history of working cooperatively with Minister Jordan and we look forward to building on it.”
Bernie Berry, president of the Coldwater Lobster Association said it’s a good thing whenever you can get a federal cabinet minister from the local area appointed, be it the fisheries portfolio or otherwise.
“I think it’s a bonus,” he said. “Hopefully it bodes well for the industry on the east coast.”
Jordan is the second federal minister from western Nova Scotia to be appointed to the fisheries portfolio this century and the first female. From 2002 to 2003, West Nova MP Robert Thibault held the position.
The Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance also say, it is pleased that Bernadette Jordan has been appointed Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“Minister Jordan comes from one of Canada’s busiest fisheries ridings. While there are challenging issues, both domestic and international, facing the Canadian seafood sector, we have confidence that under Minister Jordan’s leadership, seafood will continue to be Nova Scotia’s leading industry. Her recent experience as Minister of Rural Economic Development will serve her well in understanding the issues facing our coastal and rural communities,” said executive director Leo Muise.
“The Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance is prepared to assist the Minister by providing advice and support when appropriate. Working with the Minister and her staff we hope to safeguard the stability and profitability of the seafood sector in Nova Scotia.”
The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) also welcomed Bernadette Jordan as new the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“On behalf of FCC members, I welcome Minister Jordan back to the fisheries realm. It doesn’t seem that long ago that she was Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans,” said Paul Lansbergen, FCC President. “We look forward to rekindling our working relationship to enhance the growth potential of the sector.”
The FCC said it would also like to acknowledge the work of Minister Wilkinson and his continued role, as Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on marine conservation targets and climate change policies. “I found Minister Wilkinson thoughtful and look forward to continued dialogue on how to recognize the positive role the sector plays in addressing ocean biodiversity. Marine conservation and sustainable fisheries are not a one-or-the-other trade-off. Both can be achieved if we work together.” Lansbergen said.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the FFAW-Unifor is calling on newly appointed Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Bernadette Jordan to make the protection and promotion of independent, owner-operator fish harvesters a key priority as she assumes her new ministerial portfolio.
“In its first term, the federal Liberal government made significant progress for inshore fish harvesters by amending the Fisheries Act to enshrine key policies that ensure the wealth and benefits of the inshore fishery remain with coastal communities, not corporations,” said Keith Sullivan, FFAW-Unifor President. “However, much more policy enforcement is required to address the proliferation of controlling agreements in the inshore fishery.”
In addition to addressing corporation concentration and control within the inshore fishery, fish harvesters are calling on Jordan to formalize the federal government’s commitment to allocating the first 115,000 metric tonnes of Northern cod to inshore harvesters, address unfairness and inequity in allocations of several species important to Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters including halibut, mackerel, Northern cod and redfish and to take immediate steps to bring seal populations back to sustainable levels, the union noted.
“Federal leadership is needed to ensure the inshore fishery continues to play a significant role in the economic development and sustainability of coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Sullivan. “FFAW members look forward to working with Minister Jordan to address the challenges facing our industry and to build on the progress made over the past four years.”
Since first being elected in 2015, Minister Jordan also served on the standing committee on Fisheries and Oceans for two and half years, holding the position of chair for five months in 2018, during which time she initiated a study that assessed the current state of small craft harbours in the country and examined emerging and recurring challenges.
The report, entitled Ensuring the Sustainability of the Small Craft Harbours Program, was tabled in Parliament on Feb. 28, 2019.
