Tag Archives: calling on Ottawa
Redfish harvesters call on Ottawa to reverse decision requiring observers for each trip
Fish harvesters on the west coast of Newfoundland are calling on Ottawa to overturn a decision they say could keep them from fishing for redfish and brought their concerns to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans office in Corner Brook on Monday. Dwan Street, president-elect of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, said harvesters face the requirement of an at-sea observer, which ensures compliance with fishery guidelines on every trip they take. Observers must also be paid for by harvesters, with DFO saying those who benefit from the resource should assist in paying for its management. A crowd of around 60 people took calls for change to the DFO office in Corner Brook Monday, which was closed before protestors arrived. For fishermen like Conway Caines, the issue boils down to two main factors: Not enough observers are available, and it’s another added expense crews might not be able to handle. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:36
FISH-NL calls on Ottawa for ice compensation/gear replacement
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is calling on Ottawa to extend EI benefits for fish harvesters on Newfoundland’s northeast coast impacted by severe ice conditions. FISH-NL also says harvesters who lost crab gear should be compensated because the federal government should not have opened the fishery in their areas. “Some harvesters and their families are having an extremely hard time of it,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL, in calling for ice compensation in the form of an EI extension. “They can’t go fishing because ice conditions haven’t improved, and they ran out of EI benefits weeks ago.”,,, John Gillett, an inshore fisherman from Twillingate, wrote the following letter today to federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc, click here to read the press release 15:44
