For the first time since 2008, a politician from Newfoundland and Labrador will head up the country’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard. Joanne Thompson was sworn in as federal minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ottawa in the cabinet of new Prime Minister Mark Carney. Thompson, the MP for St. John’s East, was first elected in September 2021. She was most recently Minister for Seniors under the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:31Category Archives: Canada
Tariff fears and high stakes for Atlantic Canada at the Boston Seafood Expo
Seafood industry reps from more than 50 countries are in Boston for what is usually an exciting three days of meetings, showcases, and networking at the annual Seafood Expo North America. This year, though, the stakes have never been higher for Atlantic Canadians. Fears of potential industry-rocking tariffs from the United States and China are overshadowing everything happening on the show floor. The expo is playing out during a moment of potential crisis for the Canadian seafood landscape, as economic tariffs that would apply to seafood loom large, along with uncertainty about what will happen if the new charges do happen.Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:12
Fight of his life: Well-known NL advocate must travel to Toronto to await lung transplant
Merv Wiseman is literally fighting a battle for his life, but he still wants it to be about finding a way to help others. The retired Canadian Coast Guard employee has spent his life leading the advocacy charge on several fronts, including issues affecting wild commercial fisheries, the fur industry, search and rescue services and agriculture. Now, the 71-year-old is dealing with worsening symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis, a condition he was diagnosed with several years ago, which has rapidly progressed within the past year. Wiseman, whose mobility these days is hampered by having to constantly be connected to an oxygen tank, is still at his home in North Harbour, Placentia Bay, but is hoping to be in Toronto by the end of March. He has no idea when he will get the double lung transplant, he requires, but needs to be close to Toronto General Hospital for when a matching donor does become available. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:04
Canadian crab, lobster industry officials look for answers in Boston
Canadian crab and lobster industry representatives, including some from New Brunswick, will be looking for answers and opportunities at a seafood exhibition in Boston. The goal is to develop relations with other industry players as Canada faces tariff troubles with both the U.S. and China. The expo attracts many countries. Major seafood exporters set up booths at the show. “It’s going to be very difficult to settle on prices given that we have to build in that the tariffs are happening,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada. The expo attracts many countries. Major seafood exporters set up booths at the show. “I’ll be looking to see what they do, how they do it, how they pay for it, and try to bring that home, and once again attempt to come up with a marketing strategy for all Canadian seafood,” said Irvine. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:05
Nova Scotia (Canada) Identifies Five Areas for Offshore Wind Development
The Nova Scotian government has identified five areas it considers suitable for installing wind turbines in offshore wind farms. The government issued a statement Friday indicating that the next step is to solicit input from Nova Scotians before granting official designations, a process that will conclude on April 14. “Canada, with the world’s longest coastline, a stable regulatory environment, and decades of experience in offshore wind development, is well positioned to enter the trillion-dollar global offshore wind market,” the provincial government stated in a discussion paper released Friday. The province’s goal is to license up to five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50
Hitting pause: Talks to set price for 2025 snow crab season in NL on hold
There’s still no deal, but both sides trying to hammer out a new pricing formula for Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab fishery have agreed to pause talks until March 19. That will be one day after Seafood Expo North America, the major annual seafood show in Boston, where this year’s provincial delegation will be looking to convince American buyers that tariffs placed on Canadian exports, including seafood, are not a good thing for the sector. The negotiators from both FFAW-Unifor, the union that represents fish harvesters and plant workers, and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents fish processing companies, have met several times since the middle of January to try to hammer out a snow crab price for the 2025 season. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:38
NL MP Joanne Thompson named Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Coast Guard
For the first time since 2008, a politician from Newfoundland and Labrador will head up the country’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard. Joanne Thompson was sworn in as federal minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Ottawa in the cabinet of new Prime Minister Mark Carney. Thompson, the MP for St. John’s East, was first elected in September 2021. She was most recently Minister for Seniors under the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:31Fire levels Cape John Crabs and Seafood plant
Two fishermen wondered about the future the day after fire devastated the Cape John Crabs and Seafood plant. Wayne and Roy, who didn’t provide last names, said they both did business with the plant over the years and enjoyed a good relationship. “I guess we’ll have to find somewhere else now,” Wayne said March 13, adding he and his wife were coming from Tatamagouche and could easily see the flames rising in the air. “It didn’t take long,” added the veteran fisherman. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:23
Snow crab now crab as FFAW and ASP show willingness to work together
A week of long days and almost around the clock negotiations has left the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union and the Association of Seafood Producers optimistic that a snow crab harvest will happen this year. “The FFAW and ASP have done an incredible job together to have constructive conversations at this point,” ASP executive director Jeff Loder said Wednesday. “Of course, until you get a deal, you have no deal. But I am cautiously optimistic that we are close.” The two sides are keen to negotiate a deal as soon as possible. A meeting with a price setting panel is scheduled for March 20 should the two sides not make an agreement by then. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:08
A Fundraiser for Merv Wiseman – Advocate Merv Wiseman has lent a hand all his life, now he needs one
A Go-Fund-Me campaign has been launched to raise money for Merv Wiseman, a retired Canadian Coast Guard employee best known as a tireless advocate for a variety causes from wild commercial fisheries and the fur industry to search and rescue services and agriculture. “Merv has lent his hand to good causes his entire life, and it’s only right we lend him a hand now in his hour of need,” says Peter Leonard, spokesman for the fundraiser. Merv suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, but has been approved for the waiting list for a life-saving, double-lung transplant at the Toronto General Hospital. He and his wife, Eileen, must relocate from their home in North Harbour, Placentia Bay, to a residence within 10-minutes of the hospital to be ready for an operation at any time.more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:06
Humane, sustainable Canadian seal harvests an environmental necessity, says USIANL
The United Seal Industry Association of Newfoundland & Labrador (USIANL) has created a fact-based campaign explaining the environmental necessity for Canada to carry out sustainable seal harvests. The campaign is being piloted in N.L., Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. USIANL was created to help Canadians understand that humane, sustainable seal harvests are an environmental necessity. The harp seal population off N.L. is the largest in the world – numbering in the millions. Not only are harp seals depleting important fish species and everything those species feed on, but fierce competition for food is putting their own well-being at risk. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:39
F/V Elite Navigator carried more safety equipment than required, writes TSB in investigation report
It’s impossible to know what caused the fire on the Elite Navigator in July 2024, as the fishing vessel was never recovered. But nearly seven months later, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) investigation reveals what happened in the vessel’s final moments. According to the TSB report released on Wednesday, light smoke was visible in the engine room soon after a smoke alarm sounded at 7:30 p.m. NT. “A crew member in the deckhouse yelled that there was a fire in the exhaust trunking.” The report says the crew of the Elite Navigator were highly skilled in distress communications, even carrying devices not required by regulation like satellite communication devices and cell phones. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:22
N.S. premier promoting seafood, minerals on New York, Boston trade junket
Nova Scotia’s premier is promoting the province’s seafood and critical mineral deposits on a tour that will take him to Boston and New York this week and next. “Now, more than ever, we have to diversify our economy,” Houston said in a government release. “We have to go where the buyers are. Nova Scotia has a lot to offer, from high-quality products like seafood and resources like critical minerals.” The province exported more than a billion dollars’ worth of lobster in 2024, making lobster its second largest export. The two countries that collectively import about 80 per cent of live Nova Scotia lobsters are China and the United States, both of which have said lobster will face tariffs in the coming weeks. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:28
Chinese tariffs on Canadian seafood would serve ‘devastating’ double whammy, fisheries council says
The Fisheries Council of Canada says tariffs on Canadian seafood entering China spells disaster for the industry — including in Newfoundland and Labrador — and serves as a double whammy with U.S. tariffs already in play. China announced it would impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian seafood effective March 20 as a retaliatory measure to Canadian tariffs on steel, aluminum and electric vehicles in the fall. The list of over 40 products facing the tariff includes lobster, crab, shrimp, halibut and more. “Some of the fisheries, some of the species that go to China, are almost exclusively going to China,” council chair Alberto Wareham told CBC News from Arnold’s Cove, N.L. on Tuesday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:56
Near and Far: Changes needed as NL seafood sector navigates new economic realities
There is no question for Danny Dumaresque that the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador needs to expand into the European marketplace, but diversifying means some changes on the home front, too. Dumaresque owns Labrador Gem Seafoods and, while others involved in the fishery were participating in a roundtable discussion about the potential impact of American tariffs on Canadian exports, he was overseas searching for new buyers for his company’s products. Dumaresque is still planning to head to the annual Seafood Expo North America in Boston as part of the Newfoundland and Labrador delegation from March 16 to 18. There, he and others involved in the province’s seafood industry will try to further drive home the fact that tariffs imposed by their government will drive up the price American customers will have to pay for Canadian fish. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:55
China slaps 25 per cent tariff on N.S. lobster, throwing seafood industry into turmoil
Chinese counter tariffs on Canadian seafood will include east coast lobster. Nova Scotian exporters have heard directly from buyers in China that the 25 per cent tariff goes into effect March 20. “For America and China to simultaneously, and for entirely different reasons, target Canadian seafood is incredibly poor luck, and beyond that it is incredibly hard to comprehend,” Stewart Lamont, owner of Tangier Lobster, said on Sunday. Just over 40 per cent of Nova Scotia’s live lobster exports go to China. About 40 per cent of live lobster exports, along with 70 per cent of frozen processed lobster, go to the United States. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:10
Canada commits over C$6 billion to fight impact of US tariffs, find new markets
Canada on Friday unveiled billions of dollars in aid and other forms of support to businesses and people expected to be directly affected by U.S. tariffs. These relief measures involve over C$6.5 billion ($4.52 billion) of financial aid to help companies tap new international markets, absorb the impact of losses, access easy loans and prevent layoffs, a team of ministers said. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration imposed 25% tariffs on most imports from Canada and Mexico earlier this week, before announcing a suspension of the charges until April 2 on goods covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. “We are moving ahead with these changes despite yesterday’s pause because businesses and workers need assurances right now,” Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said at a news conference on Friday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:35
‘Cruel’ tariff threats bring endless uncertainty to N.B. fisheries
Leaders in New Brunswick’s fishing industry are not mincing words when it comes to the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the constant back and forth of tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. “Oh, it’s painful. It’s painful,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, in an interview. The latest date for tariffs to take effect, now set for April 2, coincides with the opening of lobster season in some sectors of the Atlantic region, but that’s about all Irvine could say for certain about the potential impact. “Honestly, I don’t have a clue. Every single processor, shipper and exporter will have to talk to their customers.” He said the constantly changing news is destabilizing. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:31
Offshore wind will not be allowed on Georges Bank – New moratorium is a response to calls from the fishing industry
Ottawa and Nova Scotia say they will not allow offshore wind developers to place turbines on Georges Bank, a lucrative fishing ground that is already protected from offshore petroleum development. Nova Scotia Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau says Georges Bank will be protected with a 10-year moratorium that can be renewed at the end of the term if supported by both governments. “It’s a very lucrative fishing bank, has an incredible resource there that we’re utilizing to its full potential, and this is about saying: that’s where we’re focused on, is that sector in that area,” Boudreau told reporters at Province House. Boudreau and Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal minister of energy and natural resources, announced Thursday that they have directed their joint offshore energy regulator to apply the moratorium. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:29
Fishing industry watches tariff battle, counting the days till spring seasons
Like everyone, Nova Scotia’s fishing industry has been trying to parse what U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs will mean for them. “It’s too early to know yet,” said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada. There is little lobster coming ashore right now, which buys the industry time to hope for a resolution that sees the 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian products heading south dropped. Fishing will pick up later this month off southwest Nova Scotia as waters warm, and then in April seasons will start opening from Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia, with massive quantities of crustaceans coming over wharves throughout the region by May 1. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:29
Berth control: NL fish harvesters hope there’s room for everyone at Little Port amid cargo ship salvage
Some fish harvesters in the outer Bay of Islands are wondering how their livelihoods might be affected by the ongoing situation with the grounded cargo ship in Cedar Cove. The MSC Baltic III lost power and ran ashore in the cove, also known as Wild Cove, in the early morning hours of Feb. 15, 2025. For fish harvesters, Little Port is a crucial area. It’s where they base their fishing enterprises, including landing their catches and tying up when not at sea pursuing their respective quotas. John Gilbert of Humber Arm South is the skipper of a crew of five that catches crab, lobster and halibut. He is also a fleet representative for FFAW-Unifor, the union representing inshore fish harvesters and plant workers. He said harvesters have no real contingency plan if they can’t use Little Port. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
Canadian tariffs would ‘cripple’ Maine lobster industry, state’s top fisheries leader says
Maine’s outgoing commissioner of marine resources is warning about the dire impacts of newly imposed tariffs on Canadian imports. Maine sends about $200 million worth of lobster each year to Canada, where it’s processed and sent back to the U.S. or to third markets. Marine Resources Commission Pat Keliher said the tariffs could trigger major cuts in what Maine lobstermen are paid for their catch that could “cripple” the state’s iconic fishery. “The only way for this to be made up on the cost perspective is at the boat price,” Keliher said Tuesday during an appearance on Maine Calling. “So I am very concerned that going into this year, that we are going to see all time low boat prices. And… with the declining volume of lobster, we will see, potentially hundreds of people going out of business because of these tariffs.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:50
Trump’s tariffs are fishing sector’s biggest challenge since cod moratorium, minister says
Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry is preparing for life with heavy economic tariffs in place. Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne is calling this moment the biggest challenge to the industry since the 1992 cod moratorium. “Never since the 1992 moratorium has such a challenge been put before us,” Byrne told reporters on Tuesday. “While all sectors of the economy are affected by our ally’s betrayal, none more so than our fishery.” Ninety-six per cent of snow crab harvested in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024 was shipped and sold to the United States. But Byrne says it’s unlikely the U.S. market is avoided entirely, and it will likely come down to what markets are willing to pay. “I have absolutely no doubt that even with a 25 per cent tariff, we can indeed sell to the United States. Buyers will buy, consumers will consume, it’s a question of the details,” he said. “U.S. consumers love Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:41
‘Andrew went above and beyond’: Lucky Seven crew member thankful for Furey’s support
After enduring 52 hours in a life raft in the open ocean, the seven crew members were rescued and brought home to New-Wes-Valley, where a crowd of loved ones, including the premier, welcomed them home. “When I shook hands with Andrew in front of the fire hall in New-Wes-Valley, he said, ‘How are you feeling?’” Tiller recalled. “I said, ‘Jesus, I’m feeling perfect’ — he couldn’t believe it, that I was in all good spirits.” Since then, Furey has done far more than just staying in touch with the crew; Tiller said they’ve become good friends. When Tiller first heard the news of Furey’s resignation, he was shocked. Like many others, it was the last thing he expected. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:55
Guest writers: Bellingham’s SE Alaska salmon fleet threatened by lawsuits, misinformation
We appreciated Ed Johnston’s opinion editorial on Feb. 19, calling for cooperation in how we manage our salmon fisheries under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. As Washingtonians and Alaskans, we know that our shared Pacific salmon fisheries must be managed in a manner that considers how interceptions of salmon bound for distant watersheds may impact ecosystems, salmon populations and communities coastwide. That is why Washington sits alongside Alaska — as well as Canada — at the negotiating table under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. In order for our salmon and people to thrive, interceptions of salmon between the two countries must be managed using sound science and a cooperative approach. Our commitment to cooperative management and working collaboratively under the Pacific Salmon Treaty is as strong as our commitment to sustainable fishing livelihoods. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
Fishermen frustrated after DFO extends gulf herring moratorium by 2 years
Scientists say there are no signs that the Atlantic herring stock is improving, but some fishermen aren’t convinced. Fisheries and Oceans Canada placed a moratorium on herring fishing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2022, saying urgent action had to be taken to give the stocks a chance to recover. Three years later, DFO said that recovery hasn’t happened, prompting the agency to keep the fishery closed through 2026. “The stock status is currently very much like it was the past few years,” said Jacob Burbank, a research scientist with DFO. “The stock is still in the critical zone, and it has been in the critical zone since the early 2000s.” Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:42
Icewater Seafoods processes northern cod for the first time in 32 years
For over three decades, Icewater Seafood’s Arnolds Cove fish plant has kept itself going processing fish from other countries. But on Feb 24, 2025, the plant processed its first N.L. offshore cod since the moratorium in 1992. Plant workers were thrilled this week to be processing local cod. Not only did it mean they get to work with fresher and higher quality fish, but it means more money will be coming their way. Janet Hynes has been at the plant for 38 years and remembers the day operations shut down due to the moratorium. “We were devastated,” said Hynes. “We didn’t really know what was going to happen at that time.” Over the past 32 years, quality control coordinator Brenda Hickey, said she never gave up hope. “I was thinking this is going to come back … and it did. We’re super excited,” she said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:41
Nova Scotia lobster industry facing headwinds after Clearwater exit from live shipping
Those who work in the seafood processing and shipping industry in Nova Scotia say they were surprised by Clearwater Seafoods’ decision to exit the live lobster business. But they also say it’s a sign from a giant that those remaining in the industry need to figure out how to stabilize the economics of it. “It’s a bit of a wake-up call for arguably the leading company to exit lobster, but it will also mean we can individually look at things and tweak many aspects of our business model,” said Stewart Lamont, managing director of Tangier Lobster Company, a competitor to Clearwater. “Fortunately, we still have a captive international audience. Clients in Europe and Asia and the Middle East want to buy our lobster.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:53
A long time coming; Fish plant in Arnold’s Cove processes the first NL-caught northern cod since 1992 moratorium
There was no shortage of excitement at the fish plant in Arnold’s Cove on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, as the Icewater Seafoods processed its first offshore northern cod caught by Newfoundland and Labrador’s fleet since 1992. That was the year the commercial offshore fishery for northern cod came to a grinding halt under the moratorium imposed by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). On Thursday, Capt. Peter Melvin and his 29-person crew from the Katsheshuk II, one of Ocean Choice International’s two offshore groundfish vessels, landed offshore Northern cod for the first time at the Icewater Seafoods plant. The crew was proud to be the first and we were encouraged by what we saw. The catch rates were good, we had clean catch with little to no bycatch and the fish were healthy. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:45
Clearwater Seafood selling N.S. lobster facility, announces temporary layoffs
Clearwater Seafoods is making big changes to its inshore lobster business and is temporarily laying off workers at its Arichat, N.S. processing facility. Employees were informed Wednesday that the layoffs were effective the same day, and that it was anticipated they would be recalled back to work by a new owner around the first week of May. “We are currently in late-stage negotiations to sell our Arichat live lobster holding facility to an experienced local operator, and we will no longer operate the seasonal lobster processing line at our Lockeport facility,” wrote Christine Penney, vice-president of sustainability and public affairs. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:53
Chiefs granted intervenor status in border-crossing lobster case
An Indigenous nation has been granted intervenor status in a case involving a U.S.-based lobster fisher accused of illegally fishing in Passamaquoddy Bay. Erik D. Francis, 55, of Perry, Maine, faces charges under the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act alleging that he illegally fished from a foreign vessel in New Brunswick waters. According to court documents, he was stopped on Nov. 15, 2022, off the coast of Deer Island by fisheries officials, who seized 36 lobster traps owned by Francis. Francis, who is self-represented, has claimed Indigenous fishing rights as a part of the Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Nation, which has two communities in Maine including Sipayik (Pleasant Point), where Francis lives, and the community known as Skutik in Charlotte County. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:58
