The following is taken from a press release:
NoRigs 3 Coalition pleased with government decision to extend the current Georges Bank oil and gas moratorium on the unique fishing and spawning grounds and sensitive ecosystem
The NoRigs 3 Coalition of fishermen, fishing groups, environmentalists and Aboriginal groups congratulates the Nova Scotia government for doing the right thing in extending the moratorium on oil and gas exploration and development on Georges Bank for a period of three years.
“This avoids the unnecessary and expensive process of another lengthy review panel,” says NoRigs spokesman Denny Morrow. Noted Canadian environmental activist and author David Suzuki had called on the weekend for an immediate extension of the moratorium, as had opposition Members in the Nova Scotia Assembly (MLAs), federal Members of Parliament from Nova Scotia, the Municipality of Lunenburg and the Municipality of Barrington, as have individuals and citizens groups.
“Given the lack of any scientific evidence that oil and gas development would be less harmful than the panel determined in 1999 and given the clear fact proven by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that modern drilling technology is far from fail safe,” adds Morrow, “we think that the government saw that there was no rationale for creating a lengthy and expensive process which would likely result in findings that it is still not worth the risk to the fishery, the resource, the fragile and unique ecosystem and to the cooperative relationship we have with the United States.
“We are disappointed that the NDP government has chosen not to align its moratorium with the one until 2017 recently announced by President Obama in the United States,” adds Morrow. “We thought that five years would be the minimal extension period and we wonder why the government chose such a short extension.” NoRigs intends to be vigilant in working with governments to continue to protect Georges Bank indefinitely and to protect the cooperative relationship with the U.S.”
“We are extremely pleased with the decision by Premier Dexter, Energy Minister (Bill) Estabrooks and the entire cabinet,” says Mark Butler, NoRigs member and policy director for the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre. “Despite the enormous pressure the government must have received from oil and gas interests, they saw the need to protect Georges Bank.”
“Those of us engaged in the First Nations and the off reserve Aboriginal fisheries were concerned that offshore oil exploration and development could jeopardize the financial benefits that Aboriginal fishers and communities now have begun to enjoy from the various fisheries of the Bay of Fundy and Georges Bank,” said Hubert Nicholas,First Nations commercial fisherman for 20+ years and now Commercial Fisheries Liaison Coordinator for the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR).”
Georges Bank is one of the most prolific fishing grounds and marine habitats in the Atlantic. Eighty percent of the Bank is owned by the U.S. and twenty percent by Canada. The area has been protected from oil and gas development since the 1980s by moratoria by both the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. portion was specifically excluded from development in the recent policy announcement by President Barack Obama about offshore oil and gas exploration. The Canadian portion is under a ten-year moratorium agreement between the federal and Nova Scotia governments which ends in 2012. A decision by the two governments about the future of the moratorium is due by June 1, 2010. There is a growing concern by many that factions within the Nova Scotiadepartment of energy are pressing hard for an end to the moratorium.
The NoRigs Coalition was originally formed in the 1980s by Nova Scotia fishermen, seafood processing associations and environmental groups. Aboriginal fishermen and associations have more recently joined the coalition, which is spearheading efforts to renew the moratorium on oil and gas exploration and drilling Georges beyond 2012.
NoRigs3 Coalition:
Acadian Fish Processors Ltd.
Atksym Fisheries Limited
Charlesville Fisheries Ltd.
Ecology Action Centre
Eskasoni First Nation
Groundfish Enterprise Allocation Council
Inshore Fisheries Ltd.
Lobster Fishing Area 33 Committee
Lobster Fishing Area 34 Committee
Make n Break Fisheries
Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council
Membertou First Nation
NCH Fisheries Ltd.
Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association
Nova Scotia Fixed Gear 45’-65’ Society
Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association
Potlotek First Nation
Sable Fish Packers (1988) Limited
Scotia Fundy Inshore Fishermen's Association
Scotia Harvest Seafoods Inc.
Scotia Quota Inc.
Sea Star Seafoods Limited
Seafood Producers Asociation of Nova Scotia
Shelburne County Quota Group
South West Nova Tuna Assocition
Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources
Wagmatcook First Nation
Waycobah First Nation
Xsealent Seafood Company