HALIFAX - It's said to be one of the world's most productive fishing areas, yielding prized catches of haddock, halibut and scallops on Canada's east coast.
It's also a critical habitat for rare and endangered species of whales and turtles that migrate through its nutrient-rich waters about 100 kilometres offshore.
But Georges Bank, a vast, shallow stretch of sea floor that could be home to valuable natural gas reserves, is at the centre of an increasingly divided debate over whether a moratorium that has shielded it from oil and gas exploration for years should be lifted.
The provincial government has to decide by June 1 whether to launch a review of the moratorium and has suggested it's open to the idea of reconsidering it, the first step in its possible abolition.
"I'm open to all of the possibilities," Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks said late last week.
"It's one of the intriguing possibilities when we see how the United States handled the situation and one of the things I would like to consider."
The comments from the governing New Democrats have angered environmentalists and opposition politicians who say the party has done a dramatic about-face when it comes to protecting the area.
Before being elected last year, the NDP was staunchly opposed to allowing oil and gas activity on the sprawling marine area known for its circular currents and prime hatching conditions.
But Estabrooks and Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau say technological advances in how oil and gas companies extract the reserves could allow them to operate in Georges Bank without causing damage.
Belliveau, once a commercial fishermen, said he understands the importance of protecting an area that brings in millions annually in fishery products.
But he admitted there are competing pressures from the oil and gas sector, fishermen who have watched their industry suffer in recent years and conservationists set on preserving what they call the Atlantic's Serengeti.
"It's one of the most sensitive areas in the world and I've taken those concerns to our caucus," Belliveau said. "But in fairness, when government is faced with a decision they have to go out and do the evaluation."
The existing moratorium was put in place in 1988 and later extended to 2012.
A panel review process was done in the 1990s, with a report in 1999 recommending the moratorium be extended after weighing the risks that exploration might pose to fishing industries and marine habitat.
Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre says little has changed since then and the government should follow the lead of the United States and simply extend the moratorium.
Butler, who has studied the region for years, said it is home to tuna, mackerel, gannets, turtles and endangered North Atlantic right whales, which pass through the area en route to the Bay of Fundy.
"What concerns us the most would be putting seismic vessels onto Georges Bank," he said in an interview.
"It would be like virtually creating a sound wall for all this life coming into Canadian waters. If they were encountering a lot of seismic activity, it could interrupt that migration."
Harold Theriault, the Liberal member of the legislature for Digby-Annapolis, said many people in his rural riding are against an end of the moratorium and any activity that may threaten their fishing traditions.
The former fisherman said it would be foolish for the province to lift the moratorium when the U.S. government has just extended its ban on activity on the larger American portion of the Banks until 2017.
President Barack Obama announced weeks ago plans to expand offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic, but said Georges Bank would be protected for another five years.
"It's the only place in North America where the fisheries are coming back. Why would we risk that now? Why would we go against the Americans?" said Theriault.
"It's like playing a game of poker here. I think this government's looking for some funding and royalties."
But Hubert Saulnier, a veteran fisherman who fished Georges for years, said some fishermen in the area are open to the idea of reviewing the moratorium and possibly opening the door to oil and gas companies.
He said people might be interested in any economic benefits from natural gas if it can be shown that seismic testing and extracting the resource wouldn't harm fish stocks.
"We definitely don't want to jeopardize how productive Georges Bank has been," he said from his home in Saunierville, N.S.
"This is a very, very critical area and issue ... but I have an open mind to this."
