It’s good to know it’s there if needed, but neither Newfoundland and Labrador’s unionized fishery workers, nor the processors they sell to or work for, want to see the industry disrupted by organized labour strife. On Dec. 4, the provincial government made amendments to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act that will make it easier for the members of FFAW-Unifor, which represents both fish harvesters and plant workers, to take strike action, or for the members of the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) to lock them out if they cannot agree on fish prices. The amendments were read for a third time in the House of Assembly, but Royal Assent has been deferred until the two sides indicate they wish to reclaim their constitutional rights to strike or lockout. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:53Tag Archives: Fish harvesters
Technical difficulties: Why NL fisheries union wants DFO to back off on e-log policy enforcement
There have been many complaints from fish harvesters about a new mandatory electronic logbook (e-log) policy being implemented this season, but FFAW-Unifor says it’s time for the ongoing issues associated with it to be addressed. The union that represents fish harvesters and plant workers in Newfoundland and Labrador wants the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to take immediate action about the contentious policy and the recent seizure of a union executive’s cellphone. Jason Sullivan, FFAW-Unifor’s inshore council vice-president, said DFO violated his privacy when fisheries officers seized his cellphone as part of an investigation into an alleged fishing violation. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:27
FFAW Condemns DFO’s E-Log Policy and Phone Seizure Overreach; Calls for Minister Intervention
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) is demanding immediate action from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to address the ongoing issues with its mandatory electronic logbook (e-log) policy and the recent invasive seizure of a harvester’s cellphone, which continues to cause increasingly significant distress and disruption for Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish harvesters. FFAW-Unifor is calling for a return to a voluntary implementation, allowing the continued use of paper logs, and an end to overreaching enforcement practices. “DFO’s electronic logbook policy is a poorly executed overreach that ignores the realities of our industry. Harvesters have been vocal about these issues from the start, and our prior communications to DFO made it clear that a forced transition would lead to chaos. The department’s failure to listen has left fish harvesters struggling with unreliable systems and no support,” says FFAW-Unifor President Street. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:08
Good faith gesture: Company says it offloaded NL crab at its NS dock so it wouldn’t spoil
The company accused of not allowing a harvester from NL to offload his catch in Nova Scotia says the harvester’s account of what happened is not true. On May 9, 2025, FFAW-Unifor, the union representing fish harvesters and plant workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, issued a press release, alleging that fish processing companies were using intimidation tactics. It accused Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) members of blocking Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters from offloading snow crab in other Atlantic Canadian provinces. The Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company issued its own statement after the union released its account of what happened. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
Accusations levelled: NL fisheries union says ASP intimidating harvesters, outside buyers
If the happier times between fish harvesters and buyers weren’t already over, they may be now. In a press release issued Friday, May 9, the union representing Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish harvesters and plant workers condemned the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), charging that some members of the association have resorted to escalating intimidation tactics against harvesters interested in selling their catches to buyers outside of the province. According to FFAW-Unifor, the ASP has blocked Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters from offloading snow crab in Maritime provinces and has pressured a non-member buyer to disclose private business information and comply with other demands the unions deems baseless. The latest spat comes after an off-season during which the two sides seem to be working more harmoniously on addressing issues in the fishery. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:02
To be determined: Tariffs threat gone, but NL crab price still a contentious issue
The immediate threat of tariffs has dissipated, but there is no word that the fish processors and harvesters might head back to the negotiating table to hammer out a new price for crab to get the season going. The sides have been caught up in a legal drama since Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Gerry Byrne approved a delay in the date the parties involved were to have a pricing arrangement in place. The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents most of the processing companies in Newfoundland and Labrador, took exception to the minister’s decision because it was not a joint request to change the date. Byrne changed the date from April 1 to April 13 due to the extenuating and unforeseen circumstances when FFAW-Unifor, the union that represents most fish harvesters and plant workers, had to change its lead negotiator. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:58
FFAW to meet with federal fishery minister, DFO on Monday morning
Richard Gillett says harvesters are fighting for their livelihoods.
It might have taken a show of numbers, but representatives of Newfoundland and Labrador fish harvesters are scheduled to meet with the federal fisheries minister and Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials on Monday morning. Hundreds of fish harvesters gathered outside of the St. John’s Convention Centre on Sunday evening as Liberal Leader Mark Carney made his first campaign stop. The group was protesting recent cuts to the snow crab catch in some regions. FFAW president Dwan Street, speaking outside the convention centre, said after days of trying to get a meeting with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, she was finally able to meet with her about DFO cutting snow crab quotas in areas like 3K. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:51
Fish harvesters protest in St. John’s ahead of Carney’s 1st campaign rally
Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish harvesters quickly rallied on Sunday afternoon following cuts to the snow crab fishery and what they call the Liberals’ mismanagement of the fisheries. About 100 people crowd gathered peacefully outside federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson’s campaign office in St. John’s with the hope of receiving an explanation for major cuts to harvesting snow crab in the 3K area. The division is losing almost a quarter of last year’s total allowable catch at 7,643 tonnes, down from 9,998 tonnes in 2024. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:30
Seafood sector is united in face of tariff threats, says N.L.’s fisheries minister
A unified effort to navigate the Newfoundland and Labrador seafood industry through the uncertainty of U.S. tariff threats began on Wednesday, with more than two dozen people joining by video conference in the first fishery roundtable meeting. The meeting was chaired by Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne, who described the discussions as “one of the best meetings I’ve ever hosted.” The meeting was spawned from a broader premier’s roundtable that was assembled last month in response to a threat from U.S. President Donald Trump to place a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods entering the U.S. market, including seafood. Joining the meeting were leaders in all sectors of the fishery, including union leaders, processors, harvesters, marketing specialists and the aquaculture industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:42
Fishery in jeopardy: Trump tariff threat putting NL fishing season at risk
The threat of looming American tariffs on Canadian exports doesn’t just have the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry concerned about bottom lines. There’s a worry if there can be a fishery at all. Often sides that are at odds with one another on many matters, both the association representing the province’s seafood processing companies and the union representing the province’s fish harvesters and plant workers held a joint news conference in St. John’s on Monday, Feb. 3, to discuss the situation the fishery finds itself with 25 per cent tariffs expected to be imposed on Canadian exports into the United States. A last-minute negotiation between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump on Feb. 3 delayed the tariff threat for 30 days. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:03
Fisheries union, processors hope they won’t need to revert to strikes and lockouts
It’s good to know it’s there if needed, but neither Newfoundland and Labrador’s unionized fishery workers, nor the processors they sell to or work for, want to see the industry disrupted by organized labour strife. On Dec. 4, the provincial government made amendments to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act that will make it easier for the members of FFAW-Unifor, which represents both fish harvesters and plant workers, to take strike action, or for the members of the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) to lock them out if they cannot agree on fish prices. The amendments were read for a third time in the House of Assembly, but Royal Assent has been deferred until the two sides indicate they wish to reclaim their constitutional rights to strike or lockout. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:53YEAH!!! Newfoundland fish harvesters crash news conference to demand reinstating of cod moratorium
Fish harvesters in Newfoundland crashed the podium at a meeting of Canada’s environment ministers in St. John’s on Wednesday, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the federal government’s decision to reopen the commercial cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. Moments before the start of the news conference, which was to detail two days of meetings of the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers, Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Minister Bernard Davis was interrupted by a loud siren. Glen Winslow, a St. John’s fish harvester, then walked up to meet Davis at the podium from a group of around 15 protesters. “Sorry we got to do this, my buddy, but this is too important to Newfoundland and Labrador,” Winslow said to Davis over the news conference’s microphone while the other ministers watched on. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:43
Newfoundland and Labrador Harvesters Call for Reestablishment of Northern Cod Stewardship Fishery
St. John’s, NL – On the 32nd Anniversary of the historic Northern cod moratorium, fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are calling for an immediate return of the Northern Cod Stewardship Fishery, following an announcement from the federal government earlier this week that they plan to return the important species to commercial status and allow offshore draggers to access the stock. “As a province, we are demanding the federal government return our important northern cod resource back to a stewardship fishery and ensure the species is protected as it continues to rebuild,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:03
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year’s fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature. The 52-year-old fisherman had just seen two officers on horseback approaching fish harvesters demonstrating outside the legislature on the morning of March 20, the day Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal government was expected to deliver its annual budget. Martin doesn’t like horses — he was kicked by one as a child, he said in an interview Tuesday — and he was moving to edge of the crowd to get away. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
Fisherman slammed to the ground by a police officer now ‘considering legal option’
The fisherman who was left with a broken hip after he participated in a blockade last month is now “considering legal options” against the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC), according to a report. Richard Martin, 52, was “slammed to the ground by a police officer,” according to a CBC report. The incident happened on March 20, when hundreds of seafood harvesters were blockading Confederation Building in St. John’s, preventing public service workers and politicians from accessing the sprawling complex. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:17
ASP attempts to post price to break ranks, Commitee turns down offer that further erodes harvester share
Companies continue to spread misinformation in an effort to cause controversy and mistrust between fellow harvesters. “Today, ASP relayed a verbal offer via our Mediator and before our Committee was event able to convene, plants began to advise harvesters that a price had been set for them to go fishing. This is the equivalent of posting a price without a collective agreement. And it’s completely, unequivocally, unacceptable,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “Harvesters are advised not to fish until an agreement is signed, and the only source that will come from is the Union’s official channels,” Pretty says. more, >>click to read<< 06:43
Accusing union of refusing all offers, ASP warns crab tie-up will soon have an economic whammy
Association of Seafood Producers executive director Jeff Loder says the current crab tie-up is getting to a point where it is going to negatively affect the market for the rest of the season — and other fisheries after that. It’s been nearly a week since the snow crab season was scheduled to begin. Fish harvesters have tied up their boats, however, refusing to fish under the pricing formula that an independent panel set just before the start of the season. Loder said it’s lining up to be a repeat of last season, in which harvesters tied up their boats for six weeks. “We are now reaching the point where [we] were to last year where there will be negative implications if the crab fishery does not start,” he told reporters Thursday. Video, more, >>click to read<< 17:43
Crab tie-up means plant workers turn to income support, says Opposition critic
After weeks of protesting, including shutting down Confederation Building, fish harvesters scored big with concessions on who they could sell their catches to. The situation soured soon after, when the new crab price formula was revealed. Put forward by the Association for Seafood Producers, the floor price is set at $2.60 per pound and the harvester’s share is set at 37 per cent of market value above $8 per pound. Harvesters are refusing to go out on the water with the current formula. Bonavista MHA Craig Pardy called the situation unfortunate and said he’d hoped to avoid a repeat of last year, when there was a six-week delay to the start of the season. Pardy said he’s heard that more than 50 Bonavista plant workers have had their EI support elapse and are now without income. more, >>click to read<< 14:02
FFAW blasts price-setting panel after it sides with ASP on crab-pricing formula
With the time-sensitive snow crab season set to begin in a few days, fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador are once again talking about tying up their boats due to the price of crab. The province’s price-setting panel sided with the Association of Seafood Producers on Monday evening, setting a price floor of $2.60 per pound with the ability go up as market factors change. The panel rejected a formula proposed by the Food, Fish & Allied Workers union, which was closely tied to the formula suggested by an independent report at the end of last season. “There was a better way to do this,” said FFAW president Greg Pretty. “The work was already done by Glen Blackwood in his report. The Blackwood formula provided a way for harvesters to be paid a fair market share, but that was tossed aside for a formula that is not tied to information harvesters can trust.” more, >>click to read<< 11:26
Union and Province Come to Agreement on ‘Free Enterprise’
Today, the Provincial Government has released a letter detailing the provincial changes taking place to increase provincial processing capacity and give harvesters more opportunities to sell their catch. The agreement, which stemmed from protests held last month in St. John’s and around the province, responds to harvesters’ demands for free enterprise. “We are pleased with the amount of collaboration and consultation that has taken place to produce the letter from Minister Loveless today. The Minister took the concerns of harvesters seriously and has made tangible changes that will have positive impacts for fish harvesters all over the province,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “Importantly, I want our plant worker members to know you are not forgotten about, and these changes are expected to have minimal-to-no impact on existing jobs,” Pretty says. more, >>click to read<< 16:19
Fisheries protests give rise to a new John Efford — but what’s next for the unofficial leader?
Until this month, the general public would have associated Efford’s name with his late father — the former fisheries minister who was a firebrand in his own right. But here was the younger Efford, a fisherman from Port de Grave, standing in the back of a pickup truck with a group of followers gathered in front of him. He had led them through two days of intense protests outside the house of government, and now he was the one holding the megaphone — not Fish, Food and Allied Workers union president Greg Pretty, nor FFAW treasury-secretary Jason Spingle. “Thank Jesus we’ve finally got some leadership!” a fisherman yelled from the crowd. “Isn’t it about time?” Efford quipped, garnering cheers. photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 06:16
Fishery protests ’embarrassing for the province’, says head of producers’ association
Fish harvesters gathered in protest at Confederation Building from Wednesday to Friday this week, calling on the provincial government to change capacity limits for harvesters and allow them to sell their catch to out-of-province buyers. A deal accepting those demands was reached Friday afternoon. “Personally, I found it embarrassing for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. That type of signal that we’re sending to the markets, that that’s the level of stability and co-operation we have as the major industry partners, is really unfortunate,” Loder said Friday. photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 08:07
“We got ‘er done” – Fish harvesters reach deal with N.L. government to allow catch to be sold to outside buyers
John Efford Jr. fought back tears as he announced the news to hundreds of fish harvesters standing before him — they’d struck a deal with the Newfoundland and Labrador government to end days of protests. According to Efford — the de facto protest leader — and members of the fisheries union, the provincial government has agreed to let fish harvesters sell their catch to buyers from outside the province, regardless of species. They also said they have commitments on moving caps on processing to promote competition within the industry. “We got ‘er done,” Efford told reporters afterward. “Free enterprise for every species.” more, >>click o read<< 13:22
Crab chaos leads to cod condundrum for Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry
Chris Button, a fish harvester from Old Perlican, was one those trying to sell his catch at the wharf last week. The problem for Button and the others is that since the cod fishery opened on July 23, catches have been good but not every processing company is buying. Some of them are still busy with capelin and crab. They can’t accommodate cod just yet. Even if some processors are buying, many have a limit on how much they will buy per week from each licence holder. While the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) allows a licence holder to land 3200 pounds of cod each week, many processors are buying only 2,000 pounds a week per licence. That’s frustrating for Button, and others, who have been seeing good catch rates in their cod nets. >click to read< 09:05
N.L. inshore crab boats accuse Royal Greenland of giving them the cold shoulder
In a crab fishing season that has been contentious from the start, allegations continue to be levelled by Newfoundland and Labrador fish harvesters against processing companies. The latest accusation is against Royal Greenland, the Danish-owned company that owns three processing plants in the province. A handful of harvesters took to social media in recent days, posting on the Fishermen’s Forum Facebook Page, that Royal Greenland has been refusing to buy crab from some boats in the under 40 ft fleet. However, Simon Jarding, manager of Royal Greenland operations in Newfoundland and Labrador, says those allegations are not accurate. >click to read< 12:21
Governments and bureaucrats can fix the N.L. inshore fishery by consulting directly with harvesters
In 1992, a government of Canada MP loudly responded to demonstrators by saying, “I didn’t take the fish from the God damn water.” In 2023, a government of Newfoundland and Labrador MHA told demonstrators, “There is nothing I can do about fish pricing.” Those two statements are indicative of, past and present, attitudes of politicians toward the N.L. fishery. In 1992, the northern cod fishery was shut down because of lack of cod to harvest and in 2023 the industry is being shut down because of issues around pricing. For a few years now, fish harvesters have been pointing out problems with the price-setting system but those in control ignored their concerns and nothing was done. >click to read< by Harvey Jarvis 11:05
Good Indicators for Capelin Health, Despite DFO’s Doubling Down on Doom and Gloom
ST. JOHN’S, NL – Following DFO’s technical briefing on the 2J3KL capelin stock today, fish harvesters are optimistic that more favourable environmental conditions could lead to stock growth. “FFAW-Unifor is not surprised with the tone of today’s technical briefing by DFO Science, which have been consistently negative, irrespective of the data,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “DFO Science is supposed to be an unbiased, transparent, and evidence-based in their approach. But most of them don’t spend more than a day on the water each year. They don’t see or appreciate the qualitative observations professional fish harvesters provide, and how we can support more robust and reliable data collection for capelin and other species. Instead of contributing to a productive relationship and more informed stock assessments, we have government scientists whose sole objective is to shut commercial fisheries down, regardless of facts,” says Dennis Chaulk, fish harvester from Bonavista Bay with over 28 years of experience on the water. >click to read< 19:17
Positive signs in newest capelin stock assessment, but the tiny fish is still in the critical zone
“The capelin were in very good condition in the fall. That meant they’re longer and heavier than average. There’s lots of zooplankton, especially large zooplankton in the ecosystem,” said Hannah Murphy, a DFO research scientist and lead stock assessor. “We also had an increase in our larval abundance index this year, which is great. Larval survival is related to recruitment in capelin, so the more larvae we have and the more that survive, it’s better for the capelin stock.” Murphy said a full capelin acoustic survey happened over 2022, the first since 2019 due to the pandemic in 2020 and vessel availability in 2021. But the positivity ended there. This year, for the first time, the DFO has come up with a limit reference point for capelin. It’s set at 640 kilotons, the weight of fish in the water, and marks the boundary between the cautious and critical zones. >click to read< 17:32
Innovative ropeless fishing gear helps prevent whale entanglements
When fishing zones get closed down due to whale sightings, fish harvesters now have a new place to turn. Can Fish is a program set up by the Canadian Wildlife Federation to allow fishers to test out and use groundbreaking ropeless technology for free. The North Atlantic right whale is one of many marine species being impacted by the changing ocean temperatures in a warming world. The whales have been swimming northward moving from the Bay of Fundy to the Gulf of St. Lawrence,,, The Canadian Wildlife federation is trying to lessen this risk by popularizing the use of ropeless fishing gear through its newly introduced Can Fish program. At a warehouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia, fish harvesters can show up and borrow innovative ropeless fishing gear for free. The catch? These fishers need to provide data collected as they use the innovative technology in order to help build future designs of the equipment. Video, photos, >click to read< 17:30
Harvesters Warn of ‘Dire Effects’ as Minister Aims to Protect Fish Stocks from Climate Disruption
A recent appearance by Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray at an industry annual meeting has set off a sea squall of controversy, with harvesters and unions warning of the “dire social and economic effects” of federal catch limits and Murray stressing her interest in keeping fish stocks sustainable in an era of climate disruption. The unions representing fish harvesters on Canada’s east and west coasts claim her remarks to the annual general meeting of the Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters Federation (CIFHF) reflected a “singular focus on ocean conservation” at the cost of workers whose livelihoods rely on the fishery industry. >click to read< 15:38
Here’s how to get a piece of $62.5 million in fish processors’ Coronavirus aid
It’s been two months since the federal government rolled out a $62.5-million aid package to support seafood processors affected by Coronavirus, and a $469 million program to aid fish harvesters. So far no one has seen a cent of funding from either package. Today, June 16, seafood processing companies are a little closer. Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, announced details of how the $62.5 million from the Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund (CSSF) will be divvied up across Canada, and how to apply. Of the $62.5 million, Atlantic Canada gets the lions’ share — $38.1 million. Seafood processors in Quebec and Western Canada will also get a share of CSSF. >click to read< 14:48
