The Canadian province of Nova Scotia will respect the current moratorium on oil and gas development for George's Bank, a lucrative fishing area straddling the Canada-US maritime border, reports the CBC.

The current moratorium on drilling on the Georges Bank, off southern Nova Scotia, is in place until the end of 2032. However, Nova Scotia's premier, Tim Houston, left the impression in a news conference on Jan. 22 that he would be open to the possibility of ending the moratorium, as previously reported by Undercurrent News. 

Georges Bank is a relatively shallow submarine plateau between Nova Scotia and the New England states, covering an area larger than the state of Massachusetts, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains on its website. Its shallow depths of 3-150 meters make it a productive area for numerous marine species, including cod, haddock and scallops.

"I will look at everything. What can be done safely -- that's the lens," Houston told reporters at the Jan. 22 news conference when explicitly asked about the George's Bank moratorium and whether it was one of the development bans he wanted to review as his government pursued more development of natural resources to secure the provincial economy.

"Just think about this: right now, if somebody mentions George's Bank and we're nervous to have a discussion -- we have to have a discussion," Houston was quoted by the CBC.

Now Houston seems to be backtracking.

Blaming special interest groups for misunderstanding his position on the matter, Houston said his government would respect the decades-old oil and gas development moratorium for George's Bank.

"This narrative grew because special interests aligned to promote falsehoods," Houston stated in a letter to NS fishing industry representatives several days after the Jan. 22 press conference.

"Georges Bank best serves our fisheries sector, and despite what the special interests say, I have no interest in changing that. I have zero interest in putting our fisheries sector and the livelihoods of those who depend on it at risk," Houston wrote in the letter.

The Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, which represents over 200 seafood producers in the province, was glad to get the letter and the clarity, said Kris Vascotto, executive director for the group.