REPORT on the ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING for the EASTERN SHORE ISLANDS AREA of INTEREST

by the Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore (APES)

The Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore (APES) which is the organization that organized the campaign against Marine based Finfish Farms in 2012 is one of the many participants on the Advisory Committee set up to discuss the possibility of Marine Protected Area designation for the Eastern Shore.​ We are NOT the NO group​. We have decided to participate in the consultation process to see if there can be a positive outcome for the community. At the end of the consultation process we will decide whether we can support an MPA or not. The Advisory Committee met for the second time on January 22nd.

The following is the position that the Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore has taken at the Advisory Committee meetings.

*Our organization supports a community driven process and if an MPA is established that it be co-managed with the community

*We support protection of the lobster fishery

* We support sustainable economic development for the area including eco-tourism

*We support the traditional recreational usage of the marine environment and islands *we support keeping our harbours clean and unpolluted and to this end view destructive high impact industrial activities such as Marine Based Finfish Farms, Oil and Gas Development, Undersea Mining and Marine based Wind Farms as incompatible with a MPA.

At this last meeting of the Advisory Committee it was established that the ​LOBSTER FISHERY WILL BE PROTECTED​ if an MPA is designated and the issue of a ​NO TAKE ZONE is OFF  the TABLE. ​This is a relief and welcome news and hopefully allows the community to come forward with proposals knowing that this issue is settled.

Also the following proposed goals to date were generally accepted with some suggestions for additions to be discussed at the next meeting.

* conserve and protect ecological integrity and biodiversity

*support ecologically sustainable use

*protect and support traditional fisheries

*help preserve the cultural values of the area and maintain the connection between local communities and the sea

*foster collaboration between science, industry and local communities to better understand living marine resources and the broader ecosystem.

The next activities to undergo a risk assessment and to be discussed at the next Advisory Committee meeting will be aquaculture (Finfish and Shellfish to be assessed seperately) and marine transportation. The APES position that will be presented is that Marine based Finfish Aquaculture is incompatible with marine conservation and that if an MPA goes forward that

this activity should not be allowed. The APES supports the continuation of Shellfish Aquaculture as we do not see this as a destructive industry at the scale that it is presently practiced.

We are highly suspect about the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Keith Colwells recently announced trip to Tasmania. This Minister supports the expansion of Finfish Aquaculture in our province and has publicly stated that he thinks that Lobstering and

Wild Salmon Recovery could work well with Finfish Aquaculture. Why is he going to Tasmania when there was a recent study done here locally in Port Mouton with the assistance of the lobster fishers that clearly pointed out that there was a negative correlation between lobster catches and Marine based Finfish Farms. Will we have to keep this Industry out of our Harbours again? 

The APES encourages people of the Eastern Shore to participate in any and all meetings that will continue to take place. It is our opportunity to have a say about what we want for our communities. What kind of development do we want? not want? How will we keep our communities alive, vibrant and sustainable into the future?