Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans gets message from Qalipu First Nation

Glenwood Ward Councillor Frank Skeard spoke about the South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area in light of the provincial government’s decision to walk away from a feasibility study on the project

The Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans’ mandate is to study matters relating to fisheries and oceans in Canada. Recently, Qalipu First Nation brought a message to members delivered by Glenwood Ward Councillor Frank Skeard. He spoke about the South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area in light of the provincial government’s decision to walk away from a feasibility study on the project. Skeard read his message on Bayfm’s Qalipu today with Lenny Benoit saying the south coast area is ecologically and culturally significant with other 100 Indigenous archaeological sites. 

Skeard says the National  Marine Conservation model provided a framework where conservation and sustainable blue economy can coexist, bringing together Mi’kmaw, governments, harvesters, local leaders and community organizations to guide zoning, management and long term decision making. He says the provincial government is only one of the signatories, and their decision to terminate the MOU on the project is a missed opportunity and a colonial approach, highlighting that the town of Burgeo has been working on this for the past 25years.

In a February 3rd news release, government stated the decision was “ due to the potential risk it proposes to aquaculture, fishing and mining operations and the impact of the very communities that rely on them. Skeard says the fishing industry should have been involved with this from the start….but they weren’t interested and had other priorities. 

Skeard says some fisheries would be impacted but it was clearly stated over and over that with true collaboration and a zoning approach, impact on current fisheries might not even be measurable. Part of the process was a plan to redesignate Sandbanks Provincial park as a National park, attached to the marine conservation area.