Daily Archives: May 9, 2020

Coronavirus: Hundreds of fish harvesters gather to protest – Concerns include low crab prices, trip limits and lack of federal funding

More than 200 fish harvesters stood side by side Saturday afternoon,,, The atmosphere was tense as protestors filled the parking lot of the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union’s headquarters in St. John’s to express their displeasure with the union’s actions on issues like low crab prices, trip limits and lack of federal funding. The crab season is slated to start Monday. “What did you do about it? F–king nothing,” one protestor yelled at FFAW President Keith Sullivan. Petty Harbour harvester Ronnie Bidgood said the union has told harvesters they are trying to get better prices, but he believes it is impossible in the current financial climate. “There is no cruise ships, there is no big restaurants, nothing is opening up, nobody is buying any shellfish,” he said. “FFAW has done nothing for us.” photo’s, video clips, >click to read< 19:11

A call for patience and empathy in a fishery dealing with Coronavirus

This letter is in response to Gabe Gregory’s May 4th letter, “Fish union’s delay tactics appalling.” Contrary to Gregory’s assertions, fish-processing companies are not operating during the COVID-19 crisis under some noble sense of duty to the province or nation and they are certainly not sacrificing for the greater good. Being labelled an essential service was a relief to processing companies. It meant they could operate and bypass social-distancing, crowd-size, and travel restrictions. It meant that the companies could take full advantage of the very lucrative snow crab fishery ($500 million in 2019) and lobster fisheries ($100+ million in 2019) that would be starting while the COVID-19 pandemic would still be highly active in our country. Being an essential service also allowed them to be amongst the first in line for government subsidies. By Keith Sullivan President, FFAW, >click to read< 15:49

Start of salmon season gives hope to fishing industry crushed by Coronavirus pandemic

The Bay Area’s fishing industry has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. But, local fishing companies are hoping salmon season will help change their fortunes. The fishing industry says the closure of restaurants has been devastating. Now, they’re hoping they’ve weathered the brunt of the economic storms. The fishing industry’s fates have always been ruled by nature, but long time fishermen and distributors say there’s no way they could have seen the economic blow the coronavirus pandemic would land on their industry. video, >click to read< 14:02

Want to start eating Scottish fish? Here are the best places to start

If Scotland really does have such fabulous seafood, why do ordinary citizens find it so hard to tap into this much eulogised catch? The problem has been that subsequent governments have fixated on international exports, not food for citizens.  Farmed salmon has been the apple of their eye, even though its production has proved, to my mind, to be an environmental catastrophe for our west coast. Premium shellfish, brown crab to China, scallops to Italy, langoustines to Spain, has also been despatched abroad as soon as it was landed.,,, Enter coronavirus. Restaurant orders stopped overnight, export chains broke down. But instead of tying up boats and facing financial ruin, some determined fishermen, operating smaller boats closer to shore, have started exploring local markets,,, >click to read< 12:10

North Carolina Fisheries Association Weekly Update for May 08, 2020

Legislative updates, Bill updates, Calendar, >Click here to read the Weekly Update<, to read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 11:53

A Beautiful Combo! May 10th is Mother’s Day and National Shrimp Day!

With Mother’s Day right around the corner on May 10th and having so many of our usual Mother’s Day traditions stomped out by Covid-19, you may find yourself wondering what you can do that’s special for Mom! What’s better than taking charge of the kitchen and cooking a nice meal for her? If you are still practicing social distance you can always cook the meal and deliver it at a safe distance!What’s unique this year is that Mother’s Day falls on National Shrimp Day! Shrimp can be a delicate protein to cook so to help make this Mother’s Day as special as can be here are a few tips to ensure your shrimp comes out juicy and delicious! Tips, and recipes, >click to read<  4 Ways to Celebrate National Shrimp Day – Ready to celebrate? Check out these four delicious shrimp recipes to get started >click to read< 10:21

Port of Astoria: Twelve more workers test positive for Coronavirus at Bornstein Seafoods

Clatsop County reported Friday that 12 more workers at Bornstein Seafoods in Astoria have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the outbreak to 26. The county Public Health Department began testing workers at the seafood processor on May 2 after the company informed the county on May 1 that an employee had tested positive for the virus. Bornstein Seafoods has shut down two plants at the Port of Astoria in response to the outbreak and advised employees to self-isolate at home. The Bornstein Seafoods outbreak rippled across Astoria. >click to read< 09:25

Opening of N.L. crab fishery will inject new money into provincial economy

After nearly a month of delays prompted by COVID-19 fears and a wrangle over prices, crab fisherman from Newfoundland and Labrador are ready to put pots in the water. The crab fishing season stats midnight, Monday, May 11, putting thousands of skippers and crew members back to work. While there is still some angst — with fish harvesters seeking a federal aid package to help them through what they say is an extra challenging year — the start of this fishery is a relief for many, like the people who work on the processing lines at places like the Ocean Choice International (OCI) plant in Bonavista. The main market for this shellfish is the United States, with about half of the Atlantic Canada catch ending up in restaurants, casinos and cruise ships. With those industries shut down, the only market left is the grocery store, where crab is often sold as a promotional sale item. As a result, fishers in N.L. will get $2.90 a pound, a drop from last year’s average price of $5.14. However, fishers are also getting a little more crab to catch. >click to read< 08:02