Tag Archives: John Risley

A seafood empire and a court battle over Trudeau’s push for Indigenous reconciliation

One of the Trudeau government’s signature acts of Indigenous reconciliation is being challenged in court, exposing the fierce competition between First Nations for a shellfish quota worth millions — and the jockeying by one of Canada’s leading seafood companies to keep control of the fishery. Hundreds of pages of records filed in Federal Court offer new insight into the controversial decision in February to award 25 per cent of Canada’s Arctic surf clam quota to Five Nations Clam Company, led by Elsipogtog First Nation of New Brunswick and its industry partner Premium Seafoods of Arichat, N.S. >click to read<09:43

Is John Risely out to gut Ocean Choice International like a fish? By Ryan Cleary

ryan-cleary-fish-nlNova Scotian John Risley who led a hostile takeover of Fishery Products International in 2001 that led to the company’s demise and the loss of hundreds of rural jobs — appears to be attempting another such takeover. This time of Newfoundland and Labrador-based Ocean Choice International — which bills itself as Canada’s “largest wild fish quota holder,” including highly lucrative snow crab, shrimp, scallops, cod, and turbot. If Risley succeeds he could potentially do to OCI what he did to FPI — gut it like a fish. I say that Risley is no friend of Newfoundland and Labrador, and if he gets his hands on OCI’s quotas the Grand Banks will be sold off to the highest bidder.Ryan Cleary is a former Newfoundland and Labrador MP, long-time journalist, and leader of FISH-NL, a group attempting to represent the province’s fish harvesters in a break-away union from the FFAW. Read the full piece, click here 22:21

John Risley, seafood baron, lands $1B telecommunications deal

Nova Scotia seafoood baron John Risley has landed his biggest deal yet — and it has nothing to do with scallops or lobster. On Thursday, Columbus Communications Inc. — the Caribbean telecommunications and cable company Risley founded 10 years ago — merged with a larger rival, Cable and Wireless Communications PLC. Read the rest here 11:28