Tag Archives: (Ret) Capt. Wilfred Bartlett

Not including our seal products in the E.U. agreement is another nail in the coffin of the N.L. fishery

This is in response to a letter published in the Telegram June 30 by Premier Dwight Ball titled “PC’s ill-informed on Trade Matters,” where he states “I am amazed that the PC Finance critic, Keith Hutchings, is so ill-informed on a trade related matter.” It’s like the pot calling the kettle black. This letter is not to defend MHA Hutchings and the PC’s — they are quite capable of defending themselves — but to point out the lack willingness of this premier to negotiate in good faith for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. >click to read<14:51

The connection between caplin, cod and seals – Capt. Wilfred Bartlett (retired)

Growing up with my grandfather, every year we would go out in the trap skiff to get a load of caplin for the gardens; no store-bought fertilizer them days. You did not have to search for caplin back then — they would land in the same beaches every year. I returned to the fishery in 1977, spent the winters sealing — good market, good prices, could sell seal meat for canning. You could cut open a mature harp seal and fill a five-gallon bucket with caplin, not anymore. The seal hunt continued until the early ’80s, until the anti-sealing groups descended on this province like a flock of vultures. >click to read<08:48

A knowledgable fisherman’s words fall on deaf ears – THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE COD!

In response to John Gillett, Inshore fisherman from Twillingate, letter of December 8th, published in the telegram, “There’s something wrong with cod”. This is one of many he has written over the years, a very will spoken, and knowledgeable fisherman and sad to say his letters like many others have fallen on deaf ears. Although this Province has survived on the wealth of the ocean and is our hope for the future, we are unable to elect politicians, both Federal and Provincial, who are willing to try and get this great resource back on track so that the children of John Gillett and myself and others can have a bright future and stay in this Province. The fishery is in a mess and I don’t see any politician willing to take this on. (Ret) Capt. Wilfred Bartlett Green Bay South [email protected] 20:11

Protesting the shrimp cuts to the inshore fleet – Time to start fighting, (Ret) Capt. Wilfred Bartlett

hi-shrimp-852From the letter: We lost our cod fishery because of stupidity but we kept on fishing capelin which is the main food supply of the cod plus most everything else in the ocean, as well as the sea birds. We keep dragging on the spawning grounds, we still have foreigners fishing on the Grand Banks breaking every rule in the book and getting off scot free, while our boats have to stay ashore. The reason I attended the rally in St. John’s was I thought to myself this is the last stand, with the troubles in the industry only getting worst, the shrimp fishery is a prime example of David and Goliath, where we are always battling the big boys, the foreigners and other provinces who all want the valuable resource that is adjacent to our coastal communities, a resource that is rightfully ours. Read the letter here 08:25