A strange as it may seem after years of evidence that political interference in fisheries management has caused nothing but grief, there are still people – all politicians – who think the answer is yet more political interference.
Expect all of them to be out in force responding to this fisheries report because it appears to criticise only federal politicians. The usual band will be pointing fingers and proclaiming ‘Aha!”. But make no mistake: they stand steadfastly for more political interference in the fishery.
You know who they are. you know because you have heard them on open line shows and the Fisheries broadcast.
The Royal Society of Canada report is on the mark. If Gus and Phil will take a chance to let this sink in, they’ll know why cod stocks remain in dismal shape:
“But the re-openings took place at the discretion of the minister. They were not based on science, they were not based on an overall recovery plan consistent with our national and international obligations,” Hutchings said.
And all those discretionary re-openings came from the plaintiff bleating of the voices in this province who insisted that the scientists knew nothing, fishermen knew better, there were a few fish in the bays and people should be left to get them while they could.
If Climb-down Cleary wanted to do something constructive about the fishery and the people who depend on it for a living, he’d ditch the sealskin bowtie, stop making a complete arse of himself and push for fisheries management based on scientific principles.
No one should hold their breath for that. Buffoonery from the backmost bench is still too fashionable.
- srbp -