(Town of Burgeo/Facebook)
The Town of Burgeo is disappointed that the provincial government has decided to terminate the MOU that would have determined the feasibility of the proposed South Fjords Marine Protected Area.
The town was a signatory to the MOU, along with the provincial government and the Miawpukek and Qalipu first nations.
Some saw Parks Canada’s proposal as a potential tourism draw, while others worried about the economic impact, particularly as it related to aquaculture, the fishery and mining operations.
The province says it cannot support the proposal due to its potential economic risks to the region. However, Mayor Trevor Green says the feasibility assessment would have helped to determine potential risks.
“We were pretty disappointed,” says Green. “When you look at Churchill Falls and everything else…the government says they want to make facts-based decisions and make sure things are done correctly for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We certainly don’t feel they’re doing that in this case. We haven’t completed the feasibility study, we haven’t gone to negotiations, so we really don’t have any idea what this was going to look like at the end of the day, and they’ve already decided that ‘no, it’s not a right fit.’”
Green says arguments about shipping mining product through the proposed marine protected area is a moot point and based on misinformation. He says the town supports aquaculture and supports the proposed marine protected area and believes that both can co-exist.