Tag Archives: call on N.L. government

For a 2nd day, harvesters call on N.L. government to open market to outside buyers

For a second day in a row, fish and crab harvesters voiced their grievances at a Newfoundland and Labrador government building over constraints imposed on their catches. On Wednesday morning, harvesters congregated at the parking lot of the provincial government’s Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture building, also known as the Petten Building, located on Strawberry Road in St. John’s. They blocked the entrance, preventing employees from entering. John Efford, a harvester who was part of the protest, said they were gathered to reiterate their message from the previous day. He said companies have taken advantage of government policies “to create a cartel and collude to control the fishery” and that the government could change that policy and fix the situation. Photos, Video,  more, >>click to read<< 11:28

Tensions run high as crab harvesters call on N.L. government to introduce outside buyers

More than 150 fishermen led an anger-fueled protest on the steps of Confederation Building on Tuesday, calling on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to free up the fishery and allow harvesters to sell their product to outside buyers. Under the current rules, harvesters are only allowed to sell their catch to processors in the province at a price agreed upon by the Fish, Food & Allied Workers union and the Association of Seafood Producers. Harvesters are calling on the province to give them more control over where they can sell their catch and how much they can sell it for. “The plants are telling us when to come and when to go and how much crab to bring…. So we need some free enterprise to be able to go as we please and fish as we please,” said Dwayne Maher, a crab fisherman of more than 30 years from Salvage. Photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 20:52