Support Groups

Here is the text of a letter sent by Carl Pursey, President, PEI Federation of Labour to Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, in support of the OurFish campaign.

Prince Edward Island Federation of Labour

The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

April 9, 2008

Dear Minister Hearn
The Fisheries Industry has and hopefully will always be a major part of Prince Edward Island’s Economy providing, according to 2006 statistics from the Provincial Government, employment for approximately 9,000 Islanders (including many of our over 10,000 affiliated members) at peak production and over $350 million to our economy.

The Fisheries Industry ranks as the third biggest industry on PEI behind agriculture and tourism.

That is why the PEI Federation of Labour is so concerned about ensuring the sustainability of this industry and why we are writing you today in support of the Union of Environment Workers’ “Our Fish” Campaign. Fish stocks in Canada and around the world are in real danger of collapsing with many species facing the possibility of extinction in the near future.

This Government must act now to ensure that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has the financial, equipment and human resources necessary to fulfil its mandate to ensure the protection, conservation, and management of our fish stocks, if we wish to ensure the long-term sustainability of Canada’s Fisheries Industry.

In this time of crisis, it is ridiculous that the DFO receives a smaller budget today than it did in 1995. This must change.

We are reaching a critical time for the Fisheries industry in PEI, Canada and across the world. Therefore the PEI Federation of Labour is asking this government to take this crisis seriously and ensure that the underfunding of the DFO ends.

Our Fish Stocks are an important natural resource acting as sources of food, economic benefit, and recreation. We urge you to do all you can to ensure that there is a real future for the fishing industry and the many variety of fish that they rely on.

Yours Sincerely,
Carl Pursey, President, PEI Federation of Labour

Download the letter (pdf) here.

Here is the text of a letter received by the OurFish campaign from Michele Demers, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

March 4, 2008

Mr William Pynn
National President
Union of Environment Workers
2181 Thurston Drive
Ottawa ON
K1G6CG

Dear Brother Bill:

Thank you for including the Professional Institute among your distribution of the 'Our Fish Campaign'; I commend you on this very positive initiative. Rest assured that I will certainly give it as wide a distribution as possible, by promoting it within our scientific community as a whole and specifically at Fisheries & Oceans.

The issue illustrates well one of the many Public Service related scientific challenges that need to be put on the forefront of the political agenda. Any joint effort we can steer together will undoubtedly be in the best interest of our respective members and the citizens of Canada.

In Solidarity,

Michele Demers, President

cc: Jim McMillan, President, National Consultation Team
Fisheries & Oceans Canada

Download the letter from PIPSC here (pdf).

Here is the text of a letter received by the OurFish campaign from the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour.

February 20, 2008

Mark Power
PSAC/UEW
PO Box 842, Stn. C
St John's, NL, A1C5L7

Dear Mark,

I am pleased to advise you that the Executive Council has agreed to give its support to your lobby for "Sustainable funding - Sustainable fisheries". We wish you luck with your campaign and if there is anything we can do from our end to help we will be more than pleased to do so.

I will be writing my member who happens to be Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn to express our support for your campaign and to request adequate and sustainable funding be made available in his Department to ensure that we have a sustainable fishery for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Once more, good luck in your campaign.

In solidarity,

Reg Anstey, President.

Download the letter from the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour here (pdf).