My Feb. 20 letter to the editor, “A heritage plundered and abandoned,” attempted to show how governments have allowed our fishing industry to be destroyed, because an armada of modern foreign fishing fleets were permitted unregulated access to the Grand Banks.
Rogue pirate fleets attacked and pillaged our pristine treasure, like Attila the Hun’s barbarians, who invaded and butchered defenceless Europeans in the Dark Ages. If the brutality of their actions doesn’t stir you, then perhaps the fact that our federal governments didn’t act to stop them will.
Canadian governments, one after the other, knew this was happening and had fisheries policies — which, if followed, would have stopped the devastation to our resource and people. But they just coldly watched the decimation of our heritage, as they weaseled to benefit, as much as they could, as our fishery was exploited. Take a bow, Ottawa.
Authorities do not sense our problem because it is not a living thing for them.
One insightful response to the letter was, “we can write letters until ‘we are blue in the face,’ but nothing will happen, nobody listens or shows interest.” This is why the end appeal of the letter stated, “Governments must first have the intention, the want and passion to do what is right to protect the resource.” Nobody in government has this real sensibility, which is why the insightful response is true. Perhaps putting the message in a different view, may get the point across.
If you saw a person hit in the foot with a hammer, how would you act? Your reaction would be one involving thought of that person’s pain. Whereas if you were hit in the foot, your reaction would be one of feeling pain, and immediate action to stop the pain.
Or suppose you saw someone inside a house fire, how would you act? Again, you would think of that person’s danger. But if you woke up and your house was afire, how would you act? You would take immediate action to get out.
The point is, just realizing in words or thoughts, or documents and policies, of someone else’s problem is totally different than deeply feeling that problem inside yourself. When you have compassion for another’s pain, or feel the loss of their livelihood in the same way, you will act immediately to fix the problem. No matter what it takes, you will act now to correct the situation, because it is your problem. That is what is wrong with our fishery.
Authorities do not sense our problem because it is not a living thing for them.
Our house is burning, and we are caught inside. They are not in the fire, they look from a distance, from the outside, and do as they have always done, giving lip service or nothing at all to our tragedy. Take another bow, Ottawa.
Phil Earle,
Carbonear
