DFO / CG Mismanagement Whistle Blowing

The Louis engine makes the news again.
I am sure the ships staff wishes the Newspaper would actually do some investigative work and find something else to put in their articles as an example of CG mismanagement.

Ottawa to probe DFO mismanagement claim

Official investigation may result in wake of allegations made by whistle-blower

By CHRIS LAMBIE Staff Reporter

A federal government insider has made allegations of gross mismanagement at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Ottawa has put out a tender looking for an investigator to probe the matter in Nova Scotia.

The tender calls for a contractor to “conduct a fact-finding exercise to determine if there are sufficient grounds to commence an investigation to validate the allegations of gross mismanagement.

“A full investigation is to be undertaken to validate the allegations of gross mismanagement should the fact-finding exercise determine there is sufficient substance to warrant a more detailed examination of the facts.”

DFO officials say they aren’t allowed to disclose the substance of the complaint.

The whistle-blower is protected under the Public Servant Disclosure Protection Act, which came into force in April.

“If the allegations of wrongdoing are founded, DFO will make public the details of the wrongdoing and the actions that will be taken in response,” said Genevieve Gareau-Lavoie, a spokeswoman with the department.

There’s plenty of fodder for complaints at DFO.

Auditor General Sheila Fraser released a scathing report earlier this year on the Canadian Coast Guard, which is under DFO’s jurisdiction.

It detailed how, in March 2002, when the icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent was fired up after a two-month lay-up at its Dartmouth base, the vessel’s massive 16-cylinder diesel engine “accelerated beyond its operating range,” blowing out part of the engine and damaging the generator.

As it turns out, the ship’s fuel pumps had been replaced incorrectly. The repairs cost $6 million.

The same February report found the coast guard had failed to fix any of the many problems identified in earlier critical reports, going back to 1983.

The February report pointed to the age of the coast guard fleet as one of its biggest problems.

Maintenance on the aging vessels is becoming more costly and difficult. To make matters worse, the agency is doing a poor job of managing that maintenance.

“The various failures have not been caused by age alone, but by the lack of even the most fundamental materiel management system,” says the report.

Faults pointed out by the auditor general aren’t the only recent problems facing DFO.

Last year, authorities charged nine Cape Breton fishermen with hunting seals in a wildlife sanctuary after they were encouraged to harvest there by both the federal and provincial fisheries departments.

The native fishery has also experienced problems recently. DFO initiated a forensic audit into the operations of Indian Brook Fisheries after a number of questions were raised last year. The company, headed by former councillor Stephen Michael, brought in an estimated $7 million in catches in one year and received close to $5 million from DFO, but wound up owing creditors more than $1 million.

( [email protected])

Transport Canada and Australian Marine Safety certified Marine Engineer, over 25 years experience sailing professionally on commercial ships all over the world. Creator and editor of www.dieselduck.net. Father of three, based in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

3 Responses

  1. Glace Bay Snow Crab Club

    A proposal by my fishing company was ignored by DFO, (Department of Fisheries & Oceans) Dartmouth NS.

    Anyone with information about this illegal fishery can contact me by e-mail.

    All information will be held in strict confidence.

    [email protected]

  2. GLACE BAY SNOW CRAB CLUB – CULTURE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE

    My Proposal for a $2,000,000 Snow Crab License was ignored by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) because of my lack of political affiliation.

    2 – $2,000,000 Snow Crab Licenses given out to Fishermen (neighbours) from Glace Bay, Cape Breton both connected to politics.
    2 – $2,000,000 Snow Crab Licenses were to be shared with the "Groundfish Dependent Fishermen" and the "Glace Bay Fishermen's Association".
    1 – $2,000,000 Snow Crab License holder is the former President of Local 6, "Maritime Fishermen's Union", President of the "Harbour Authority of Glace Bay", representative for the "4VN Community Management Board" – Halibut Fishery and the former Director of the "4VN Sentinel Fishery Association".
    1 – $2,000,000 Snow Crab License was contested in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
    Another $2,000,000 Snow Crab License given out to a Gulf Fisherman, non-resident also connected to politics.
    Criteria for obtaining these lucrative Snow Crab Licenses changed to favor current license holders.
    Joint Project Agreements (Contracts) signed by the Snow Crab License holders are fraudulent.
    DFO meetings in Sydney, N.S. held with "no minutes" or "terms of reference".
    DFO mailed out invitations to certain fishermen and fish plants.
    Meetings with a local politician to request influence.
    And the Department of Fisheries and Oceans call this TRANSPARENCY???

  3. Mr. William Elliott, Commissioner of the RCMP was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in 1998.

    This is why the RCMP refuse to investigate the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

    GLACE BAY SNOW CRAB CLUB

    The RCMP need to investigate why Department of Fisheries and Oceans contracts JPA's (Joint Project Agreements) to fish "Snow Crab" off Louisbourg, Cape Breton were given out to 2 Fishermen (neighbours) from Glace Bay connected to politics.

    My proposal for a $2,000,000 Snow Crab License was ignored by DFO because of political discrimination. http://is.gd/femcy

    http://www.pgfraser.blogspot.com/

    "You're right Paul, politics has no place in the decision making process at DFO"
    This statement was quoted to me in person, from a high profile member of parliament.

    Please pass this message on to Sydney-Victoria MP Mark Eyking: Website http://markeyking.liberal.ca/page/16/

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