Tag Archives: La Scie

DFO appears to break own laws by allowing sale of commercial licences involved in alleged illegal controlling agreement

“DFO may be breaking the very fishing laws it is mandated to enforce,” says Ryan Cleary, an inshore fishery activist who has brought a number of alleged controlling agreements to DFO’s attention. The controversy surrounds La Scie-based fisherman Jimmy Lee Foss who went public earlier this year with allegations he was in a controlling agreement with Robin Quinlan of Quinlan Brothers Ltd. Foss purchased the Ocean Surfer II and suite of commercial licences in April 2022 with a $3.8-million loan from the CIBC — a deal he alleges was arranged and co-signed by Quinlan. Foss said the investigator told him a request would be made for his commercial licenses to be frozen until the probe was complete, but DFO licensing branch forwarded him a letter late last week to say that wouldn’t be the case. Foss fears the licence will end up back in Quinlan’s hands. more, >>click to read<< 20:22

Fisherman told to either drop DFO complaint of controlling agreement or risk losing home

An inshore fisherman from La Scie whose commercial fishing enterprise is being seized by a receiver for the bank has been given until this Thursday, March 7th, to either retract a recent declaration to DFO that he was in an illegal controlling agreement, or risk losing his home. “No fisherman should be put in that impossible position,” says inshore fisheries advocate Ryan Cleary. “It’s the latest example of how the entire system works against the inshore fleet.” Jimmy Lee Foss purchased the F/V Ocean Surfer II  and a suite of commercial licences (including snow crab and shrimp) in April 2022 with a $3.8-million loan from the CIBC. According to Foss, the deal was arranged and co-signed by local fish processor Robin Quinlan of Quinlan Brothers Ltd. more, >>click to read<< 11:32

Premier Intervening – La Scie divided as harvesters wait for resolution to snow crab standoff

Mayor Marlene Regular said Tuesday things are tense, with fishermen wanting to earn money for their families but also wanting to keep their boats tied up in protest of the $2.20 catch price. “We’ve got some that want to get up and go. They want to get up in the morning, they want to go to work,” she said. “We got more that want to stand with their fellow fishermen, which is to be expected, but we don’t know their situation. Like, you can look at someone and say, ‘Oh, they’re well-to-do. They don’t mind having to stay in.’ But there’s other people, you don’t know their situation, when they look at their kids. What do you do? Do I look at my kids, or do I look at my fellow fishermen, right? It’s a big choice.” It’s difficult to see people on opposite sides of the issue, she said. Photos, video, >click to read< 17:37

Fishermen in La Scie eye return to water to catch crab, after 2 boats stuck in ice return safely

Fishermen say they are not deterred by the recent mishaps involving thick sea ice that caused one vessel to sink and several others to get stuck off the coast of Newfoundland’s Baie Verte Peninsula.
“Time is getting short for crab, right? They got the season extended now until July 15, good job they have, I say,” said Justin Giles. “I’m hoping to get out in the next couple of days again if the wind would mind to go off. So hopefully we’ll be able to do it.” Thursday marked the safe return of two fishing vessels that were stuck in ice, a day after the crew of another boat had to be airlifted to safety after the vessel started to sink. Five boats left La Scie on Tuesday to fish for crab, but ran into trouble with the thick ice pack almost immediately after leaving the harbour. click here to read the story 09:16:42