NS: Coalition applauds move to extend Georges Bank moratorium

[HALIFAX, NS] — The NoRigs3 Coalition is applauding today’s decision by the governments of Nova Scotia and Canada to extend the moratorium on oil and gas exploration and drilling on Georges Bank to December 31, 2015.

The coalition — composed of fishermen, fishing groups, environmentalists and Aboriginal groups — says it was the right thing to do.

“This avoids the unnecessary and expensive process of another lengthy review panel,” says NoRigs spokesman Denny Morrow.

“Given the lack of any scientific evidence that oil and gas development would be less harmful than the panel determined in 1999 and given the clear fact proven by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that modern drilling technology is far from fail safe,” adds Morrow, “we think that the government saw that there was no rationale for creating a lengthy and expensive process which would likely result in findings that it is still not worth the risk to the fishery, the resource, the fragile and unique ecosystem and to the cooperative relationship we have with the United States.”

Although relieved with the decision to extend the moratorium, Morrow said the coalition was, however, dissatisfied with the length of time chosen.

“We are disappointed that the NDP government has chosen not to align its moratorium with the one until 2017 recently announced by President Obama in the United States,” he says. “We thought that five years would be the minimal extension period and we wonder why the government chose such a short extension.

“NoRigs intends to be vigilant in working with governments to continue to protect Georges Bank indefinitely and to protect the cooperative relationship with the U.S.”

About the moratorium…

When the moratorium was first extended in 1999, the federal and provincial governments committed to try to work with U.S. agencies, as Georges Bank crosses international borders.

Both levels of government also agreed to gather and develop information on the delicate Georges Bank ecosystem, particularly about fishing and petroleum activities and technologies.

The research only began recently, and preliminary results suggest there will be more work to do.

The three-year extension announced will allow this process to be completed, as critical research results are expected later this year. Government will then assess the findings and focus on filling research gaps.

“We value and respect our ocean ecosystem,” said Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks. “We also value and respect the men and women who work there, in both the fishing and petroleum industries. In order to make the right decision, we need more time to get the best scientific information available.”

Estabrooks said there may be important lessons to learn from the Gulf of Mexico drilling disaster.

A preliminary review is researching potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of offshore petroleum activities on Georges Bank, if permitted. Another study is assessing technologies and practices in offshore exploration, drilling and production that have been developed since the 1999 Georges Bank review.

Additional research is using modern software to reinterpret seismic information to better understand the resource potential. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is also conducting research.