As President Obama reviews the report of the government commission on the Deep Water Horizon explosion and blowout in the Gulf of Mexico upon its release tomorrow, the NoRigs 3 Coalition wants to express its appreciation to Premier Dexter and his government for passing legislation on December 10th to extend the Georges Bank Moratorium until at least 2022.
 
It is expected that the US government report will focus on mistakes made by the oil company and its sub-contractors, as well as a lack of effective oversight by the government regulator. Human error, human malfeasance and unexpected forces of nature can overwhelm the very best technology when it comes to offshore drilling and development, according to NoRigs 3 chairperson, Denny Morrow. The NoRigs 3 Coalition of fishermen, processors, aboriginal fishing communities and environmental groups are pleased that the Nova Scotia government has taken a precautionary approach in regard to protecting the richest spawning and nursery area in the Canadian North Atlantic.
 
It is expected that the final tally on clean-up costs and payment for damages to the tourism and fishing industries in the Gulf region will top $30 billion. Georges Bank yields close to a billion dollars in seafood harvested annually when both the Canadian and American fishing harvests are combined. A blowout or large spill on Georges Bank would not only affect the seafood industries of both countries, but the tourism industries as well.
 
The legislation passed in the Nova Scotia legislature in December not only extends the Georges Bank moratorium for another 10 years, but any initiative by a future government to lift the moratorium in 2022 would require a public review. The Act passed on December 10th was passed with all-party support. Denny Morrow, speaking for the NoRigs 3 Coalition, says that the moratorium extension provides the south west Nova Scotia fishing and seafood processing industries with a more secure future.