Portugal rebuffs Canadian inspectors

By KEVIN COX
Canadian Press

(Halifax)  The Portuguese government has refused to allow Canadian
fisheries inspectors to board a boat that the DFO officials accuse of
sinking a mesh net filled with endangered cod and flatfish off the Grand
Banks two weeks ago.

The Portuguese vessel Brites arrived in her homeport of Aveiro on Tuesday
and was boarded by investigators from the European Union. But the
Portuguese government denied a request from the Canadian government that
three DFO inspectors be allowed to participate in the probe of the ship.

The net of the Brites sank to the ocean floor two weeks ago and DFO
officials retrieved it and showed reporters the dead cod and flatfish that
were caught in it. They were hoping to match cables on the Brites with the
net.

The Brites, which was ordered to return home by Portugal shortly after the
incident, was not charged with any violations of international fishing
regulations. But another Portuguese vessel Avariense was charged by the
Canadians with violating moratoriums on catching cod and flatfish off the
Grand Banks in a widely-publicized incident earlier this month.

DFO spokesman Steve Outhouse said the Canadian government has asked that
its inspectors be allowed to investigate that ship when it reaches port
later this week but the Portuguese government hasn't responded to that
request. Canadians have been allowed to do inspections in foreign ports on
other occasions.

"Overall we're still hopeful we can work out a diplomatic solution to
allow us to participate in the investigation of the Avariense", Mr.
Outhouse said, adding that the Canadian government respects the right of
the Portuguese government to decide who inspects the vessel. But we put
forward some pretty strong evidence in both these situations of some
serious wrongdoing. We ultimately want to make sure situations like this
don't happen again.

Some European fishery officials have speculated that the widely-publicized
enforcement effort by the Canadians was part of the pre-election campaign
in this country. But federal Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan has denied
this, saying that the decision to crack down on foreign fishing with
increased patrols by sea and air was made in January of this year.



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