Tag Archives: FFAW-Unifor President Keith Sullivan
CLOSURE WITHOUT CAUSE: Unprecedented Levels of Mackerel Call into Question Minister’s Decision to Close Fishery
Fish harvesters throughout the province are reporting observations of unprecedented levels of mackerel, calling into question the decision by Minister Joyce Murray and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to close the commercial fishery this year. Harvesters are once again asking Minster Murray to take urgent action to reconsider the decision and undertake new survey opportunities to better understand the true health of the mackerel stock. Harvesters throughout the province have been sending in their observations and photos of mackerel schools and unprecedented levels of bycatch during other fisheries. >click to read the rest< 15:03
Minister Fails to Address Lack of Competition in Seafood Processing
St. JOHN’S, NL – Minister of Fisheries Derrick Bragg announced his decision on important recommendations from the Fish Processing Licensing Board this morning, rejecting numerous recommendations to issue new crab processing licenses and compounding frustrations felt by fish harvesters and communities who have lost out on millions of dollars in potential income this fishing season. A Minister rejecting the Board’s recommendations is both unprecedented and unjustified, as the purpose of the Board is to make unbiased recommendations to protect and benefit the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador. A new crab processing license in St. Mary’s Bay is welcomed news to the region and is an important first step in addressing issues in the province’s snow crab industry. However,,, >click to read< 12:48
Minister Ignores Established Precautionary Approach for Shrimp – Slashes Quotas in Struggling Fishery
Minister Joyce Murray’s decision today to slash quotas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp fishery is a significant blow for harvesters and plant workers who have already experienced drastic cuts over the last number of years. A cut of nearly 20 per cent in Shrimp Fishing Area (SFA) 8 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is contrary to the recently established Precautionary Approach (PA), showing Minister Murray’s lack of commitment to collaborative fisheries management. >click to read< 08:58
FFAW Launches Awareness Campaign on Seal Overpopulation
ST. JOHN’S, NL – The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union is launching a nationwide campaign today to call attention to seal overpopulation in Atlantic Canada and the devastating effects on fish stocks. The Union representing fish harvesters is calling on the federal government to immediately undertake adequate scientific work to understand the true impact seals are having off our coasts, and to ensure appropriate action is taken to repair the ecosystem imbalance. Video, graphics, and a lot of information, >click to read< 16:08
Five processors have monopoly on inshore fishery: FFAW-Unifor
Fish harvesters gathered in St. John’s Tuesday to speak out against what their union describes as the cartel-like behaviour of the province’s fish processing companies. FFAW-Unifor union says that, as a result of what it claims are co-ordinated efforts by some of the largest companies, who refused to buy species such as northern cod and squid for several weeks this season, harvesters are calling on the provincial government to issue new processing licences and develop a strategy to attract more competition and investment within the industry. >click to read< 12:56
Inshore harvesters, including a member of FFAW’s inshore council dispute snow crab science
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) questions why the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans would report poor scientific signs of snow crab when it’s not the full picture of the state of the resource. The results of crab surveys carried out by inshore harvesters won’t be available until December. “The science is only half of the story — inshore harvesters have the other half,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “This shows the same old disconnect exists between DFO science and what harvesters are reporting on the water. Why does DFO report doom and gloom when all the information is not on the table?” click here to read the press release 09:19
SHRIMP GUTTED: “It’s going to be very tough on a lot of people.”
A decision by Ottawa to cut into the total allowable catch (TAC) for Shrimp Fishing Area 6 drew swift response on Friday, with “disappointing” being a go-to word in reference to the numbers. The fishing area is located off Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula and southern Labrador and shared by both the inshore and offshore shrimp fleets.For 2016-17, federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc set the total allowable catch at 27,825 tonnes — a 42.3 per cent drop year over year. The slash in quota is a direct result of a plummeting shrimp stock. And it amounts to a hard blow for the commercial fishery. Read the rest here 09:38
Scallop fishermen protest at Clearwater plant in Grand Bank for Access to Traditional Grounds
Wayne Meade, one of the organizers of the protest, said fishermen in the area are fed up and want answers from their union – Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW-Unifor) – and the federal government about access to nearby fishing grounds. The harvesters believe they should be able to once again fish the southern and middle scallop beds on St. Pierre Bank, Meade said. “We had a licence to fish anywhere on St. Pierre Bank for 25, 30 year. Overnight that was took from us in 2006 and give to Clearwater and the offshore boats – the companies,” Meade said. Meade said inshore fishermen were then limited to the northwest part of the bank, which had already been largely raked clean by factory trawlers. Read the rest here 07:18
Mulcair fisheries commitment brings hope to Newfoundland and Labrador
JUNE 8, 2015, ST. JOHN’S – Last Thursday in Corner Brook, nearly a hundred fish harvesters, concerned citizens and political leaders gathered to stand up for fair fisheries management. One speech in particular brought considerable hope to the rally attendees, as well as to thousands of others who could not be there in person. NDP MHA and fisheries critic Lorraine Michael read a statement from federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair. Read the press release here 08:04
Rally on Thursday, June 4, Corner Brook – Newfoundland and Labrador standing up for fair fisheries management
“These continued attacks by the federal Conservative government on rural Newfoundland and Labrador are shameful,” said FFAW-Unifor President Keith Sullivan. “The federal government seems to be under the impression that the economic sustainability Newfoundland and Labrador is unimportant to Canada. Recent analyses by others, such as BMO, suggest the contrary. The fishery is the economic future of our province but with management trends like this we will have no future.” Read the rest here 14:31
