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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 10, 2000 FISHERS UNITE, JOIN OTHER GROUPS TO PRESENT PETITION AGAINST PETROLEUM EXPLORATION TO HOUSE OF COMMONS A petition asking parliament to direct the Government of Canada to revoke NS98-2 Parcel 1, a 600,000 acre permit off the western coast of Cape Breton and to stop petroleum exploration leases being issued until spawning, nursery and other sensitive area are identified first, is being tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday February 10. The first thousand signatures of the several thousand signature petition is being tabled by MP Peter Stoffer who is the NDP Fisheries Critic followed by an 11:00AM Joint Press Conference in the press gallery of the House of Commons with Elizabeth May of the Sierra Club of Canada. The petition also asks parliament to review current legislation relating to the Canada/Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board(CNSOPB) and the National Energy Board and to investigate the powers and undemocratic actions of these two unelected federal agencies. "The NS98-2 Parcel 1 petroleum lease crosses vital migratory routes for southern Gulf groundfish, pelagic and salmon stocks and covers sensitive lobster and herring spawning areas," says May, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada "It is in a fragile ecosystem abundant with whales and dolphins with winter ice cover and waters as shallow as 60 feet in places. There are over 10,000 registered commercial fishers in the Southern gulf and approx. 20,000 people employed including plant workers and other spin off industries. This shoreline Cabot Trail permit should never have been approved and the Southern Gulf should not be open for petroleum exploration " she said. Percy Hayne, president of the Gulf NS Fleet Planning Board says the federal government's insensitivity towards the pressures on the east coast fishery knows no limits. "With the recent Supreme Court Marshall decision, native and non-native fishers are working hard to peacefully and successfully implement the Marshall decision. Our federal government should at the very least, support our efforts to implement the Marshall decision, rather than making matters worse by allowing petroleum permits in our spawning grounds", he said. "The petroleum board's process is fundamentally flawed and has compromised their ability to function as a neutral regulatory authority which is why we want them investigated. If they would identify sensitive areas first that are off limits to the petroleum industry, they would save the taxpayers a great deal of money by avoiding costly review panels. " said Mary Gorman, a member of Save Our Seas/Shores Coalition which is collecting the signatures. Kerry Prosper of Afton Band said "Mi'kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy chiefs want this exploration stopped. We have waited for centuries to be finally given legal access to the east coast fishery. Now we are seriously questioning what quality of fishery we are being given access to. If the petroleum industry is allowed to take over our seabeds, what will be left for future generations?" he said. -30- For further information contact: Ottawa: Peter Stoffer (613)995-5822 Elizabeth May (613)241-4611 Nova Scotia: Percy Hayne: (902)926-2229 Kerry Prosper: (902)386-2897 Mary Gorman: (902)926-2128 Ian MacDonald: (902)787-2531 -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list (sust-mar). http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/lists/sust-mar -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Sponsors: Chebucto Community Net http://www.chebucto.ns.ca Sierra Club - Chebucto Group http://www.sierraclub.ca Volunteer listowner: Paul Falvo sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
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