Category Archives: Canada
Fisherman slammed to the ground by a police officer now ‘considering legal option’
The fisherman who was left with a broken hip after he participated in a blockade last month is now “considering legal options” against the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC), according to a report. Richard Martin, 52, was “slammed to the ground by a police officer,” according to a CBC report. The incident happened on March 20, when hundreds of seafood harvesters were blockading Confederation Building in St. John’s, preventing public service workers and politicians from accessing the sprawling complex. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:17
The 100% Fish Project: More Than Just a Filet of Fish
Dave Naftzger found out about the 100% Fish Project entirely by accident. He was headed to Europe on a business trip, but first had a long layover in Iceland. So, he did some research to see what he could do while he was there. That’s when he came across a project where people had figured out how to use and sell almost 100% of every fish they caught, specifically Atlantic cod, Iceland’s most iconic fish. Dave is the executive director of the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, an intergovernmental organization, and this caught his attention. He set up a meeting with the main guy, Thor Sigfusson. “Walked into his office, he had a fish skin, fish leather lamp,” said Dave. “And he had a table with all these different products that would be made from parts of the Icelandic cod that used to be put in landfill. It really was inspirational.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
Canada opens personal-use mackerel bait fishery, extends commercial moratorium
Canada is opening a personal-use bait fishery for mackerel this spring while extending the moratorium on commercial mackerel fishing in Atlantic Canada and Quebec in 2024. Fish caught under a bait licence are intended for personal-use and cannot be sold, traded or bartered. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said in a news release Thursday the bait fishery will help licence holders supply their other fisheries, such lobster, with bait without jeopardizing the ongoing rebuilding of the stock. The 470-tonne bait quota will be released in two parts to allow fishermen in different parts of the region equitable access. Mackerel arrive in different parts of the region at different times — first off southern Nova Scotia and later in Newfoundland and Labrador. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:42
NL Harvesters Say Thanks For Nothing, Bait Fishery Slap in the Face to License Holders
This morning, the federal government announced a bait fishery for Atlantic mackerel in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. A bait fishery for mackerel will do nothing for harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador, and harvesters are demanding a modest directed commercial quota for the province. “Newfoundland and Labrador has a history of a fully monitored directed fishery that provided top quality product in a traditionally fall fishery. FFAW-Unifor’s proposal for a directed fishery with temporal coverage would bridge the existing information gaps,” says FFAW-Unifor Secretary-Treasurer Jason Spingle. “Moreover, today’s release is not clear what portion Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters would receive and when,” Spingle says. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:36
Southeastern P.E.I. lobster fishers prep for spring setting day
Lobster fishers along P.E.I.’s southeastern coast voted to go back to their traditional spring start date this year, but they’re going to have to start early again. In 2023, for the first time, there were two opening days for P.E.I.’s spring lobster season. Setting day for boats on the Island’s South Shore came four days earlier than the traditional opening of April 30. Lobster Fishing Area 26A includes 365 boats from harbours along the southeastern coast of P.E.I., from Victoria up to Souris. The spring season for LFA 26A was supposed to open on Friday but has now been postponed until Saturday due to weather conditions. The change in dates in 2023 was proposed by the South Shore fishers for a couple of reasons, including avoiding the time of year when lobsters are in their reproductive stage. Photos, video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:49
Five people from Maine arrested in Nova Scotia for illegally fishing baby eels
The federal Fisheries Department, (DFO), says five people from Maine were arrested in southwestern Nova Scotia last weekend for illegally fishing for baby eels. In a news release, the department says the arrests occurred April 20 and in the early hours of April 21 in the Meteghan area of Digby County. The release didn’t say whether they would face charges, but it notes that fisheries officers seized nearly 3.5 kilograms of baby eels — also known as elvers — a vehicle, three dip nets and one fyke net. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:14
Predators take big bite out of declining Atlantic mackerel population
Predators ate at least twice as many Atlantic mackerel as commercial fishery landings in the decade leading up to Canada’s region-wide moratorium, according to new research by Canadian and American scientists. The study also found seals are a major predator, lending credence to what many fishermen have long claimed. The modelling study was published this month by the federal Fisheries Department and the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. The top predators were gannets, grey seals, dogfish and bluefin tuna. In the most conservative estimate, predators removed between 21,000 and 29,000 tonnes annually between 2012 and 2021 — at least two times greater than Canadian commercial landings reported as 11,000 tonnes per year. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:26
Rumours of soaring crab prices cause N.L.’s newest processor to hit pause
Lloyd Nash was all ready to start accepting the first loads of crab at his new processing plant when the market was thrown into a tizzy over the weekend. The owner of Uncharted Seafood in St. John’s obtained a crab licence this season, after fish harvesters successfully lobbied the provincial government to issue new licences. He was even prepared to offer a little more than the $3 per pound that was agreed upon by the associations for producers and harvesters after a protracted battle over pricing. But then, rumours ripped through the industry that some of the larger processors were preparing to offer as much as $4.50 per pound. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
Uncle, nephew who died at sea in Lark Harbour tragedy remembered
Two generations of a family were lost after a boat capsized on Newfoundland’s west coast this weekend, leaving a community in mourning. On Sunday morning, after a vessel carrying six people capsized, the Canadian Coast Guard ship Cape Edensaw was dispatched from Lark Harbour to the west coast. The coast guard launched a fast rescue craft into the water, recovering two bodies. They were Trevor Childs and his nephew Nicholas Skinner, says Fish, Food & Allied Workers secretary-treasurer Jason Spingle. News of the deaths travelled across Newfoundland and Labrador on Sunday and drew condolences from government officials and members of the fishing industry. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:30
‘It doesn’t feel real,’ says Lark Harbour deputy mayor following death of 2 fishermen
The Newfoundland community of Lark Harbour has been rocked by the deaths of two fishermen, who died after a boat capsized Sunday. The Canadian Coast Guard ship Cape Edensaw was dispatched from Lark Harbour on Sunday to the rugged shoreline of Newfoundland’s west coast and launched a fast rescue craft into the water. The crew soon recovered the two bodies and spotted four survivors on the shoreline. Lark Harbour Deputy Mayor Ria MacDonald said much of the town found out near lunchtime on Sunday. “‘Reeling’ is the only word to really use. Nobody expects to lose anyone, let alone on the first day of the season.… And the way it went down, from what I understand, is devastating,” MacDonald said Monday. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:45
This injured N.L. fisherman paid a heavy price protesting for free enterprise
It takes some effort and plenty of discomfort and anxiousness for Richard Martin to lift himself off his couch, settle in behind his walker, and make his way around his house. It was just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20, and Martin was one of hundreds of frustrated seafood harvesters — many of whom had travelled long distances — who were blockading Confederation Building in St. John’s, preventing public service workers and politicians from accessing the sprawling complex. With Port de Grave fisherman John Efford Jr. leading the charge, they were there fighting for what they were calling “free enterprise,” or the right to have more say over how they catch, land and sell their seafood. Video, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:10
Warming Waters Heat Summer’s Feast Well Before It Gets to the Kitchen
An ever-warming planet is playing havoc with the intricately interconnected web of marine life. Just as climate has long stressed human populations and driven migration, marine populations are stressed and in search of survivable climates too. In New England, scientists and lobstermen alike are studying and living the impacts. Tim Alley has been lobstering in Maine’s coastal waters for 40 years. “There’s been a trend in recent years related to temperatures,” he says. Alley is steeped in the traditions of his home state’s biggest industry and recently dusted off a short film from 1972 in which he starred at age 12, “Alone in My Lobster Boat,” filmed in South Bristol and New Harbor, Maine. Like most lobstermen, he would call himself an environmentalist: they live on the water, they live from the water, they thrive on the water. But they reject the notion that a species – the right whale – is failing because of them. Over 40 years, he says, he has seen exactly one right whale. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:50
Two people dead, four others make it to shore after vessel capsizes in Newfoundland
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says two people were found dead and four others survived after a boat capsized off the west coast of Newfoundland. The department says the Canadian Coast Guard received a report of people in the water near the fishing town of Lark Harbour at around 11 a.m. Sunday after a seven-metre fishing vessel called Miss Jenny capsized with six people aboard. The coast guard issued a mayday relay to vessels in the area and its team, equipped with a fast rescue craft, along with a Cormorant helicopter based in Gander, N.L., were dispatched to help the people. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
UPDATED: Four people airlifted to hospital after vessel capsized off Newfoundland’s west coast
Four people were airlifted from a beach on the west coast of Newfoundland on Sunday morning and brought to hospital after a vessel was found capsized. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jolene Garland said the incident was near the community of Lark Harbour. In a post on the Town of Lark Harbour Facebook page, it was announced the town hall would be opened Sunday evening “as a gathering spot for our residents to support each other in this time of grief.” There was also a post telling residents to avoid Park & Youden Road. Captain Trevor Ackland, a spokesperson for the Joint Task Force Atlantic in support of the Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre in Halifax, said the centre responded to a call from the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John’s for assistance after reports of people in the water. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:46
A vessel capsized off Newfoundland’s west coast
A rescue operation is underway Sunday near Port aux Port, between Molly Ann Cove and Rope Cove (Submitted by Sam Anderson) A vessel on the west coast of Newfoundland was found capsized on Sunday morning near Port aux Port. Fish harvester Sam Anderson was fishing in the area around Molly Ann Cove and Rope Cove around 11 o’clock Sunday morning when he spotted a cabin on fire on shore. There, he saw a couple of men on the beach, he said, with a capsized vessel nearby. “We followed the procedure, you know, contacted the Coast Guard radio and we tried to get him. We couldn’t get at him because the waters were too shallow and nothing we could do,” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:29
From tiny river eggs to ocean prey, filmmaker aims to capture life of salmon
As a child fly fishing on New Brunswick’s renowned Miramichi River, Nick Hawkins used to daydream about being able to peer under the tea-coloured water and see where the salmon were. Hawkins is one of nine winners of 2024 grants from the Trebek Initiative, named for the late quiz show host Alex Trebek. He’s getting $97,674 from two organizations that Trebek supported, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and National Geographic Society, to film the migration of Atlantic salmon — “from their home rivers in Canada to their feeding grounds in the icy fjords of Greenland” — and to document “the passionate efforts of those trying to reverse the species’ precipitous decline.” Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:17
P.E.I.’s snow crab season wrapping up as right whale protection begins
An early start to the season is paying off for many P.E.I. snow crab fishers, with good catches and better prices than last year. An added bonus: for the second straight year, most will have caught their quota before endangered North Atlantic right whales move into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, prompting protective measures to prevent entanglement in fishing gear. Alden Gaudet said fishers are much better prepared this year than they were two years ago in case of closures due to right whales. “This year, we’ve lobbied to be able to immediately remove our buoys from these traps and use this ropeless, on-demand [system, without having to wait 48 hours to reset back in these areas. So it will make things a lot easier,” he said. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:42
Vehicle, boat, and building all burned in separate fires at Back Bay wharf
Firefighters raced to put out three separate fires early Thursday morning at the wharf in Back Bay, a small coastal community south of St. George. Chief Justin Johnston of the Eastern Charlotte Fire Department said a call came in around 3:30 a.m. about a vehicle on fire. When crews arrived on scene, they also discovered a large commercial fishing boat and a building at 24 Back Bay Loop Rd. were on fire too. “It was definitely a surprise when we arrived this morning,” Johnston said. The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating. Additional crews were called to the scene, and Johnston said firefighters were able to get the fires out relatively quickly. Fishermen towed the burning boat away from other boats in the harbour to prevent further fires, he said. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:15
Man accused of assaulting conservation officer after elvers bust in downtown Dartmouth
The alleged incident took place one week ago — not on a remote rural stream, but on the Shubenacadie Canal in downtown Dartmouth. The federal Fisheries Department and the provincial Department of Natural Resources called police to the 100 block of Alderney Drive shortly before 10 p.m. local time on April 10. A spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Police, Const. Ann Giffin, said a 39-year-old man was arrested and is due in court at a later date. James Nevin maintained he did nothing wrong. He claimed conservation officers did not identify themselves and that he was sprayed with bear spray in the course of his arrest at Martins Park. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:09
Head of seafood processors’ association says he faced threats over crab dispute
The head of the Association of Seafood Producers says he and his family faced threats in recent weeks during the conflict over snow crab. “There has been threats against me for the last 30 days, and I have been in regular contact with the [Royal Newfoundland Constabulary],” ASP executive director Jeff Loder told Radio-Canada Tuesday. “They were directed toward my personal safety, directed towards my credibility, directed towards our members, directed towards our office. And it was really, really inappropriate. I understand this is an emotional time, I understand that this is about people’s livelihoods. This is a serious issue…. However, making threats is entirely unacceptable.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:48
FFAW applauds new deal on crab pricing, but says system still needs fixing
Harvesters refused to fish for more than a week, until the FFAW and Association of Seafood Producers reached a deal on Sunday that included increases to minimum prices and a settlement at the end of the season. That deal will override the panel’s decision. The deal struck Sunday includes a floor price of $3 per pound for the entire 2024 season. Both sides will be able to file for a reconsideration if the market price goes above $6.50 US. Harvester Glen Winslow was getting ready to finally start his season Monday morning in St. John’s. He said it’ll likely be a few days before boats head for the crab grounds. “I’m quite satisfied with where we got, to be honest with you,” Winslow told Radio-Canada. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 06:11
BREAKING: FFAW AND ASP REACH AGREEMENT TO GET SNOW CRAB FISHERY STARTED
This evening, the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) reached an agreement with the FFAW Snow Crab Bargaining Committee, ensuring the start of the 2024 snow crab fishery. As a result, plans for a demonstration tomorrow are now cancelled. “This is an historic pricing agreement for harvesters in our province, restoring fairness in the crab fishery and giving harvesters a sharing arrangement they have not seen in a long time. We’re very pleased about the progress made here today and thank Premier Furey for ensuring the fishery gets off the ground as quickly as possible for the benefit of all those involved,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “I also want to extend my sincere thanks to all members of our Bargaining Committee, who stood strong throughout this process and ensured that harvesters in our province would not be shortchanged their fair share,” he says. more, >>click to read<< 18:09
Allowing Outside Buyers in Fishery Won’t Fix Issues in Processing Sector, Says Advocate
A longtime advocate for the inshore fishery says measures taken by the provincial government won’t do anything to break what he calls the “cartel” running the local processing sector. Harvesters are vowing to return to Confederation Building on Monday to rally for changes that will give them a greater share of the price fetched by crab and other species. The province is now allowing outside buyers to purchase product from harvesters, but Ryan Cleary told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly that doesn’t go far enough. more, >>click to read<< 10:44
P.E.I. harbours face challenges with approach of lobster season
The spring lobster season on Prince Edward Island is just a few weeks away, but some harbours are facing challenges as Island fishermen prepare to head out and set their traps. At Malpeque Harbour, windy weather has slowed down efforts to clear the winding channel that they will take on setting day. “They’ve had a real hard time this year due to weather,” said fisherman Timothy Wall, who has been fishing for 30 years, following the occupation of his father and grandfather. “They’ve been on the site for two weeks already, and they can’t even get to the outside of the harbour, just the weather hasn’t been fit. Moving the harbour deeper into Malpeque Bay, where there is less moving sand, could be an option, said Wall, but there are no certain answers. Video, photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:12
Yukon River Panel hears fishing moratorium on Yukon River chinook may be ‘too little, too late’
A new international agreement on chinook salmon stoked at times emotional debate at the Yukon River Panel meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, this week, and while many appeared to approve of the pact, others seemed to cast doubts. Duane Aucoin, a member of the Teslin Tlingit Council in the Yukon, said it’s taken the collapse of the chinook population to finally do something, but the natural world doesn’t work that way. “One thing we’re afraid of is, is this too little, too late?” he said. “Western policies, Western politics, Western science is what helped get us into this crisis, into this mess. Traditional knowledge will help get us out.” Photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:02
Crab harvesters heading back to Confederation Building on Monday morning, Efford says
John Efford, the unofficial leader of a fisheries union protest that has gripped Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood industry, says crab harvesters will be back to protesting on Monday morning. In a Facebook post on Thursday evening, Efford called on harvesters to meet outside Confederation Building at 7 a.m. NT on Monday to protest for a better deal to start the lucrative snow crab season, along with other demands. Efford called on harvesters from all over the province to head to St. John’s to begin protests. The main crux of the protest relates to the ongoing dispute over the crab season. The FFAW and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) have exchanged barbs in recent days, accusing each other of spreading misinformation. more, >>click to read<< 12:35
ASP attempts to post price to break ranks, Commitee turns down offer that further erodes harvester share
Companies continue to spread misinformation in an effort to cause controversy and mistrust between fellow harvesters. “Today, ASP relayed a verbal offer via our Mediator and before our Committee was event able to convene, plants began to advise harvesters that a price had been set for them to go fishing. This is the equivalent of posting a price without a collective agreement. And it’s completely, unequivocally, unacceptable,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “Harvesters are advised not to fish until an agreement is signed, and the only source that will come from is the Union’s official channels,” Pretty says. more, >>click to read<< 06:43
Accusing union of refusing all offers, ASP warns crab tie-up will soon have an economic whammy
Association of Seafood Producers executive director Jeff Loder says the current crab tie-up is getting to a point where it is going to negatively affect the market for the rest of the season — and other fisheries after that. It’s been nearly a week since the snow crab season was scheduled to begin. Fish harvesters have tied up their boats, however, refusing to fish under the pricing formula that an independent panel set just before the start of the season. Loder said it’s lining up to be a repeat of last season, in which harvesters tied up their boats for six weeks. “We are now reaching the point where [we] were to last year where there will be negative implications if the crab fishery does not start,” he told reporters Thursday. Video, more, >>click to read<< 17:43
Project Nujio’qonik: In megaproject-weary Newfoundland, a massive hydrogen operation has some on edge
A multibillion-dollar megaproject in Newfoundland is one step closer to becoming Canada’s first commercial green hydrogen operation, but some in the country’s easternmost province wonder whether their government has learned from its mistakes. The first two phases of development would involve windfarms of at least 150 turbines built on Newfoundland’s Port au Port Peninsula and in the nearby Codroy Valley, on the island’s west coast. Those turbines would power a hydrogen and ammonia production plant, to be built in Stephenville, N.L., located about 145 kilometres northeast of Codroy. The experimental project would exploit a massive rural area of Newfoundland as a testing ground for the benefit of a private company, said Nick Mercer, an assistant environmental science professor at the University of Prince Edward Island. more, >>click to read<< 06:50
Crab harvesters’ union calls for price formula set out in past provincial report
With their boats tied up and crab pots still on dry land, fish harvesters and union officials are calling on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to revisit a 2023 report that sets out what they say is a fair way forward for the snow crab fishery. At a news conference in St. John’s on Wednesday, Fish, Food & Allied Workers union president Greg Pretty pointed to a report last year from the province’s fish price-setting strategic review team, chaired by Glenn Blackwood. Pretty says the pricing formula set out in that report, which followed a six-week tie-up last season, would give harvesters a fair market share. Glen Winslow, a St. John’s harvester who was part of the bargaining committee, says the formula set out in Blackwood’s report would have allowed for a larger share for harvesters if the markets had performed better. “The Blackwood formula would have fixed all our problems, but it was thrown out at the last minute.” Video, more, >>click to read<< 18:24
