Fishing Industry Calls For New Ferry

Members of the fishing industry in southwest Nova Scotia want to end the funding uncertainty for the ferry between Digby and Saint John, N.B.

Denny Morrow, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, said Monday that businesses are still waiting to hear from Ottawa, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick about whether they will continue to cost-share the 39-year-old Princess of Acadia. The funding agreement expires in January.

"It’s like a sword hanging over your head," Morrow said.

"You wonder whether you’re going to be able to get your products to market in the way that you need to get them there."

Morrow said his organization wants to replace the Princess instead of putting more money into the vessel. That would cost about $40 million to $60 million but makes good business sense because a newer vessel would be faster, more fuel efficient and cheaper to maintain, he said.

"It’s at the end of its lifespan, so just providing an IV life-support for a few months or a year is not the way to go at this point," Morrow said.

He points to the South West Nova Scotia Transportation Study prepared for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to prove his point.

"Recent technical assessments indicate that the ship will require major repairs and significant expenditures to remain in safe operating condition and maintain the current level of service," the report said.

The study predicted some future growth in commercial traffic for the ferry but noted it will probably remain less than that of the last decade.

Morrow said traffic on the Digby ferry is up this summer after the Dexter government cut funding for the high-speed Cat ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine.

"Having no ferry service at either Digby or Yarmouth would have a negative impact on three key industries, including the fishery, agriculture and tourism," the ACOA study said.

Nobody at Bay Ferries, which operates the Princess of Acadia, could be reached for comment Monday.

Morrow said people in his industry depend on the link to get their lobster and haddock catches to the American market and need to plan ahead.

Story by: Jeffrey Simpson

The Halifax Chronicle Herald,   August 24, 2010