A spokesperson with the Coast Guard Search and Rescue in Halifax says all of the 22 crew members of a Spanish fishing trawler are alive after their vessel sank 400 km east of St. John's earlier today...She says the crew of the 30-metre Monte Galineiro jumped into life-rafts or into the ocean after the vessel caught fire this morning. The coast guard vessel Leonard J. Cowley happened to be only 10 minutes away when it received the trawler's distress signal and were on scene almost immediately.
As far as Web Talk goes I'll just leave you with the following picture which shows the reported location of the foreign fishing trawler. I'll leave it to our readers to draw their own conclusions about what it was doing there.
Here's a hint: The yellow line shows a due easterly course of 400 kilometres from the Avalon Peninsula.
The ocean areas depicted in lighter blue are the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap.
Two articles in one day Myles?? Now there's a trend you need to keep up with!lol.
ReplyDeleteI had just read about the Spanish trawler minutes before I visited your blog.
Here's a few simple facts:
The trawler was said to be 400kms east of St. John's, as you stated. The 200-mile limit is measured by 'nautical' miles, not 'standard' miles... as I just discovered.
1 'standard' mile = 1.609344 kms
1 'nautical' mile = 1.852 kms
If you do the math:
400kms = 216 'nautical' miles, not 248 'standard' miles as most people think.
That's a heck of a lot closer than most people realize. How in the world can our stocks have any chance of being restored, if we're the only ones made to stop fishing?? The livelihoods of many were diminished for the sake of others.
Studies on the stocks are being carried out time and time again, to give us a little bit of hope... but yet they all have the same bloody conclusion. No surprise there that's for sure.
But alas, this story will most likely fade and perish from the memory of most, as all other similar events have in the past.
My blood is boiling, yet again.
400km, that's outside the 200 mile (320km) limit.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo piscatore: I'm well aware, as are most people in Newfoundland and Labrador that this trawler was outside the 200 mile limit but we are also aware that there is precedent internationally for taking control of the area in question to protect the fish stocks and we are also aware that when in opposition the current government said it would address the issue of so called "custodial management" which would have protected the stocks on the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap.
ReplyDeleteIf you are not aware of the long history around this issue it might be beneficial for you to gain some insight into it.
The point is that if Ottawa had any concern about those fish stocks it would claim the entire shelf (as it is planning to do in the North, around the North West Passage).
This hasn't been done, and won't be because the federal government quietly condones the activity on the Banks.
It helps them appease foreign nations and in doing so eases trade barriers that might impact manufacturing exports from Ontario or Quebec.
In other words, their position is: To hell with the future of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thank-you for the correction twjtNL, I missed that measurement.
ReplyDeleteClearly they were far deeper into the Grand Banks area than I first thought.
As for setting a precedent with two articles in one day, all I can say is sometimes a story comes along that's too important to let sit without reacting to it in a timely manner.
I don't think I'll strive to write two every day all the time. Unfortunately the bills still have to be paid and my daily grind, like everyone elses, goes on.
Cheers,
M
Some things never change.
ReplyDeleteStop the insanity!
The Canadian confederation is A Tragedy of the commons (minority prov/colonies) at the hands of our Tyranny of the majority (national PROXY parties of the Upper/Lower Canada majority) in there never ending quest for power!
To paraphrase President Clinton's campaign manager “It's the political system stupid! “
EQUALITY OR EXIT!
10 minutes away how very convenient, if only they were that handy when many a poor soul from Newfoundland perished.
ReplyDeleteMakes you wonder doesn't it.
I heard Ryan Cleary say last night that this trawler was only built a few years ago and is specially designed to process and fillet cod at sea.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine, "specifically designd to process and fillet cod" and here it is cruising around the Grand Banks.
Capt. Derek LeRiche said the Crowley had been slowly approaching the vessel with plans to send fisheries inspectors on board when he received the distress call.
ReplyDeleteThings that make you go Hmmm?
I heard that myself today but I notices as well that nothing was said about that yesterday (as far as I can tell). Smells like a case of CYA (Cover your A$$) to me.
ReplyDeleteMyles - I noticed The Globe and Mail only allowed 7 commentaries on ITS ARTICLE YESTERDAY ON the arrival of the Leonard J. Cowley with the 22 RESCUED fishers onboard.
ReplyDeleteThe commentary privilege which it usually grants its readers for their satisfaction was cut off almost as soon as it was granted, unlike when every day when they print article to taunt Premier Williams.
I guess they didn't want to get the truth out there and thus inform all Canadians about what is going on out in our offshore waters or to jeopardize the upcoming negotiations between Canadian and European Union negotiators.
Also how can the ordinary Canadian ever find out what is happening in Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore water, santioned by Canada, when the Globe and Mail Newspaper is not allowed to write about it and when all it does it writes and publishes an article every day to try and lower Premier Williams profile in Canada, the only Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, who has ever attempted to get the message out there on behalf of his province of how things came down the chute of history over the past 60 years as it pertains to the province of NL as it relates to Ottawa?
READ ALL ABOUT THE UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS IN AN ARTICLE WHICH YOU WILL FIND ON THE INTERNET.
http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=13223
-----------------------------------
"Canada-EU trade proposal rivals scope of NAFTA
Canadian and European officials say they plan to begin negotiating a massive agreement to integrate Canada’s economy with the 27 nations of the European Union, with preliminary talks to be launched at an Oct. 17 summit in Montreal three days after the federal election.
Globe and Mail, Toronto
Canada-EU trade proposal rivals scope of NAFTA
Plan to lift barriers for goods and labour to be discussed at summit after election
By Doug Saunders...........
Why is Peter Stoffer on radio kicking up a stink about this? Where are our MPs?
ReplyDeleteThe article below is ambiguous. The title states "Business group says N.L. objections to Canada-EU deal won't scuttle talks".
ReplyDeleteThe article then goes on to say that Jason Langrish of the Canada Europe Roundtable for Business says he believes the problems can be resolved.
AND THEN:
The EU has said it can't strike a deal without provincial government participation.
That is three (3) conflicting statements in one short article in the Canadian Press.
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n022402A
FULL ARTICLE BELOW:
Business group says N.L. objections to Canada-EU deal won't scuttle talks
February 24, 2009 - 6:11
THE CANADIAN PRESS
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams' new objections to a proposed Canada-European Union trade deal won't scuttle negotiations, says a Canadian business group.
Last week, Williams said his government wouldn't sign on to support the negotiations of a new and comprehensive economic agreement with the union.
Continued Below
Williams said Monday night it's hard to support such an agreement with issues like the EU planning to ban seal products, and matters including high fish tariffs and foreign overfishing. The premier said it's also hard to imagine that Ottawa would act in his province's best interests in any negotiations.
However, Jason Langrish of the Canada Europe Roundtable for Business says he believes the problems can be resolved.
The EU has said it can't strike a deal without provincial government participation.
Anon who asked the question: Why is Peter Stoffer on radio kicking up a stink about this? Where are our MPs?
ReplyDeleteWell anon the only time a politician can open his/her mouth is when he or she is in Opposition and then their words cannot go very far because they don't have the podium in the House of Commons.
Once they are part of the ruling government, they have to toe the party and government line that is the reason the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has faired so badly over the past 60 years. Of course, some politicians have the honesty and ethics built into their systems where they could never do that and leave their province high and dry, but it seems that in 60 years the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has never had such a principled politician.
Nevertheless God Bless Peter Stoffer for being as vociferous on the subject as he has been, but then again his province Nova Scotia has gotten a lot of benefits from the fish nursery off the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Matter of fact Iceland and the Scandinavian countries, in general, have done well from the NAFTA agreement and from an article I read on the Internet just recently Nova Scotia alone has created a wonderful economy from the deals it has done with Iceland. Iceland has its airline stationed in Halifax International Airport, over the past 20 years it has had several plane loads of Icelanders coming to shop each year, and I believe the only thing Newfoundland and Labrador received was one plane load of Icelanders every fall.
I read in one article that a Gala was held for the Icelandic representatives where Nova Scotia’s politicians and bureaucrats were present lavishing the Icelanders with not only a sumptuous meal but accolades for helping to buoy up the Nova Scotia economy.
That is one instance of another province benefitting from the fish quotas which are spawned and nurtured in the Grand Banks of Newfoundland nursery.
I hope in this round of talks with the European Union and NAFTA, our Premier will get in on the action and sees to it that any benefit which accrues from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland fish nursery comes to our province and not the rest of Canada.
"Major “deal-breaker” conditions, officials said, include full agreement by all 10 provinces, especially on the issue of European companies providing government services, and what are known as “geographic indicators,” which forbid products such as champagne and feta cheese to be produced under those names outside their nations of origin. Controversially for Canada, this may soon be extended so only English producers can use the name cheddar on their cheese.
ReplyDeleteHowever, both sides agree that there is far more political will to negotiate a major deal, on both sides than there ever has been."
Somwhow I just feel very very uneasy to put it mildly.I dont feel that this will be good for the Province.But its a pill that Ottawa will force us to swallow.
Maybe this will be the push that sends us out of this federation.Heres hoping. :)
We should think about putting a NL ambassador in the US embassy like Alberta has done to talk about becoming the 52 and 53 states in the union.
ReplyDeleteAt the very least a protectorate.
Maybe move that Fitzgerald guy out of Ottawa and into Washington.
Definitely accomplish more in Washington than Ottawa.
should have made the bastards swim home, but then that would have been blamed on Newfoundland and Labrador as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't think becoming a state would make us any better off. The US would siphon off our resources much faster than Canada. And I for one don't want to be a Yank.
ReplyDelete