Down with the bottom feeders IV

Where's Loyola?

Last Friday, the Canadian Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn announced that Canada would not support an international moratorium on the destructive practice of trawling the ocean floor.

But rather than standing before the cameras, microphones and notepads of the news media to deliver his message, the minister issued a statement. Minister Hearn was not available for interviews because the statement was issued on the Friday afternoon before the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend when most people are enjoying the harvest and not following the news.

The following week when the CBC radio news program The Current covered the issue, the minister was again unavailable for interview.

This typist has yet to see or hear Minister Hearn put his face or voice to reporters' questions on this issue. Does the minister realize that this sends out a mixed signal.

If he stands firmly behind his decision not to support the moratorium - against the stand taken by the US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Brazil who are supporting the morartorium - then why won't he come forward and talk to us?

A cynic might say that Minister Hearn's media managers have advised him against appearing on camera or on live radio to say he is against an international moratorium on high seas trawling. A cynic might say that this would look bad on Minister Hearn who is a member of a minority government that could fall at any time.

So come on Loyola, show your face on this one, talk to us, prove the cynics wrong.