The President of the FFAW calls a proposal put forward by France to launch an exploratory snow crab fishery on Canada’s continental shelf “baffling.”
Dwan Street says the move has the potential to sully Canada’s relationship with France.
Global Affairs Canada is taking the matter very seriously.
While the proposal involves waters beyond the 200 mile limit, Street says Canada owns the resource to the end of the continental shelf.
That said, Street doesn’t believe the proposal will go forward. She says France likely doesn’t need the added headache.
“I don’t really know if France really understands what they’re doing here, because Global Affairs is taking this very seriously. That’s a Canadian resource and France has no right to it. So, do I think that this is going to come to fruition? Absolutely not. I don’t think France really wants the headache in international courts that this would bring.
“Canadian harvesters certainly aren’t interested in giving one pound of that up.”
