STEPHENVILLE — Coun. Cecil Stein looks forward some day to going into a Chinese restaurant and ordering “sweet and sour flippers" he quipped at the Stephenville town council meeting Thursday.
Stein was referencing to Canada’s deal with China on edible seal products.
“I’d like to go on record as recognizing what could be a momentous decision by the Chinese government to allow seal products to be imported into their country, and not be swayed by the ‘self-interest animal fund groups’ as their counterparts in the European were,” Stein said.
He finds it ironic members of the European Union had a free vote on the decision, with that freedom realized by the supreme sacrifice of many Canadians and especially Newfoundlanders, during the two World Wars.
Stein sees no reason why Newfoundland processors cannot set up a large canning factory and supply seal protein to developing countries, where many are starving to death.
“If not, the Chinese will buy it in bulk, can it and ship it back to us as is done with our herring and mackerel,” he said.
Stein feels it would be appropriate for the town to write a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to Canada thanking his government for the decision.
Council members agreed it would be a good idea to do that.
He quipped that maybe it would be a good idea to copy the letter to the European Union; however, deputy mayor Mike Tobin, who was chairing the meeting, disagreed.
