Gus may have missed Hearn's worry that the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization would fold when Americans didn't get their fair share of some fish species.
As VOCM reported in February last year:
Americans may leave NAFO
The opposition fisheries critic says the United States is unhappy with NAFO and may pull out. Loyola Hearn, the MP for St. JohnÂ’s South-Mount Pearl, says he met with a delegation from the US yesterday. He says the Americans are not happy with their fish quota, especially yellow tail flounder, and he says they have a legitimate argument. Hearn says the Americans pay 20 per cent of the costs of NAFO, but get only a fraction of the quota. Hearn sys the Americans have been CanadaÂ’s closest ally in the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization.
or as The Telegram put it two days later:
U.S. ready to leave NAFO: Hearn
The Conservative fisheries critic says the United States is unhappy with NAFO and may pull out.
Tory MP Loyola Hearn says he met with a delegation from the U.S. Tuesday.
He says the Americans are not happy with their fish quota, especially yellow tail flounder - and he says they have a legitimate argument.
Hearn says the Americans have been Canada's closest ally in the international regulatory body.
Of course, the Yanks didn't leave.
But I am wondering why Gus supports Hearn, who supports NAFO when Gus keeps arguing NAFO is the root of all fisheries evil and that foreigners should be driven from the Grand Banks.
Here's one of Etchegary's more temperate remarks:
"I was 25 years with both organizations [NAFO and its predecessor] as a commissioner, representing the industry, and year after year we came out of those annual meetings reporting to the powers that be that these were useless organizations. Both organizations legitimized overfishing practices and killed out fishery. It's as simple as that," he charges. [Emphasis added]Now reconcile all that with this statement from Hearn's website:
As stated by respected fisheries advocate, Gus Etchegary, "Finally its agreed by political leaders that Custodial Management of fish stocks outside 200 miles by Canada is the only possible way we can save our rural population. We have to thank MP Loyola Hearn for his persistence and tenacity in having a supporting resolution recorded in the House of Commons. Without his dedication it would never have passed."Gus thinks having Canada take over fisheries management outside the 200 mile limit by illegal means is good; NAFO is bad. Hearn was fighting to save the same NAFO that Gus thought was a joke.
Meanwhile, Hearn's boss, Stephen Harper is backsliding on his promises to Hearn, Etchegary and the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to extend custodial management.
Custodial management is a legal nonsense, of course, but if these three guys - Hearn, Harper and Ethcegary - want to push for it, the least they could do is actually agree among themselves.