Tag Archives: Newfoundland and Labrador
ASP says union’s allegations of undercutting NL crab prices unfounded
While he considers it an anomaly worth inquiring about, Jeff Loder warned against reading too much into the early discrepancy in market prices between snow crab caught in the Gulf of St. Lawrence fishery versus what’s been landed in Newfoundland and Labrador. Loder is executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), the entity that represents fish processing companies in Newfoundland and Labrador and was responding to accusations that companies are deliberately undercutting the price they’re asking for snow crab in the early going of the season. That allegation was levelled by FFAW-Unifor, the union that represents fish harvesters and plant workers, in a Wednesday, April 23, news release. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:09
Something fishy? Harvesters’ union raises concern over discrepancy between prices for NL and Gulf snow crab
The union representing fish harvesters and plant workers in Newfoundland and Labrador is raising an alarm bell over early reports of the price of snow crab in the marketplace. In a Wednesday, April 23, press release, FFAW-Unifor drew attention to the first Urner Barry quote for the 2025 production of Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab. It has recorded five- to eight-ounce sections at $11.05 per pound — $2.07 below the quote of $13.12 for Gulf crab landed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence fishery. That, according to the union, is a far cry from the usual price spread seen in previous years. Larger-sized crab from Newfoundland and Labrador had yet to be quoted as of Wednesday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:41
‘Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s’ to be honoured at ECMA gala
Newfoundland and Labrador beloved and tear-inducing folk song, “Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s” will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 37th East Coast Music Awards (ECMA) Gala taking place in St. John’s on Thursday, May 8, 2025. An ECMA news release notes the deeply emotional ballad was written by Otto Kelland in 1947. “It’s heart-warming that this song and his works still mean something to people today,” says Kelland’s daughter Jocelyn Kelland, who will be present for the induction ceremony at the Mary Brown’s Centre. Otto Kelland was inspired to write the lyrics to the song after meeting a young fisherman on the waterfront. The desperately homesick fisherman related that he had been working off the coast of Boston, but he would rather fish in his own dory off St. Mary’s, and eat only one meal a day rather than have three meals a day in a big city. more, CLICK TO READ<< 07:26
FFAW-Unifor Applauds Provincial Government’s Move to Strengthen Owner-Operator Fishery with New Co-Op Model for Snow Crab Harvesters
ST. JOHN’S, NL: FFAW-Unifor proudly commends the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, for today’s announcement of the Industry Balance and Opportunity Licensing Approach, a transformative initiative that bolsters the owner-operator fishery and fosters a more competitive and balanced snow crab industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Minister Byrne’s forward-thinking policy, which allows groups of eligible inshore harvesters to access new snow crab primary processing licenses, is a game-changer for our province’s fishery. By empowering harvesters with a combined access of 4.5 million pounds of snow crab to form cooperative, independently owned processing entities, this approach delivers on the Minister’s November 2024 10-point plan to enhance competition, increase processing capacity, and curb corporate concentration. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:08
Three Liberal fisheries ministers, senior DFO staff sued by elver licence holder
The company that bought Donald Marshall Jr.’s eels is suing three Liberal fisheries ministers, along with a host of the federal fisheries department’s top brass. South Shore Trading Company, a commercial elver licence holder based in Wentworth and led by President Mitchell Feigenbaum, filed the suit in the Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick on Monday. The suit’s statement of claim accuses Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) staff and political leaders of fraudulent misrepresentation and making false and misleading statements to commercial elver licence holders, along with the intentional neglect of duties in their management of the lucrative fishery for juvenile American eels. It comes after a March 28 Federal Court decision found DFO’s taking quota from commercial licence holders and transferring it to First Nations without consultation of the former was “procedurally unfair.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:24
Fishing for votes: Why NL’s oldest industry is once again an important federal election issue
For as long as there has been a place called Newfoundland and Labrador, there have been issues with how its fishery has been managed, and it remains an issue during the latest federal election campaign in 2025. The issues these days mostly revolve around the science behind species management, how the total allowable catches for each species are decided and who can fish where and when. Of course, there is also the ongoing friction between harvesters and buyers, including fair prices and who should shoulder the inherent risks of the seafood market, but those things tend to fall more within provincial jurisdiction. Harvesters have taken issue, one way or the other, with just about every science-based decision made by the federal Department of Fisheries and Science. The seal hunt is also a significant issue with a long history in Newfoundland and Labrador. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:58
Changing tides: Panel sides with union’s snow crab pricing formula
Its decision was not unanimous, but the provincial Standing Fish Price-Setting Panel has selected the final offer from fish harvesters as the price for snow crab for the 2025 season. The season began in most areas on Thursday, April 10, but it was not until late afternoon that the panel decision was announced. The three-person panel — chaired by Sheilagh Murphy and including Earle McCurdy and Brian Vallis — heard submissions from FFAW-Unifor and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) on April 6. While the full written reasons for the majority and dissenting opinions will be made public later, the panel’s letter to the provincial government about its decision indicated Vallis held the lone dissenting opinion among the panel members. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:26
FFAW celebrating ‘significant victory’ as panel sets snow crab price
The province’s price-setting panel has sided with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers’ snow crab pricing offer of a $4.97 per pound floor price this season. In a press release Thursday evening, Thursday evening, FFAW president Dwan Street wrote that the decision is “historically significant. “Today’s panel decision is finally putting a system in place that gives harvesters a sense of fairness and transparency,” the release continued. The decision came the same day the 2025 season opened. In a Facebook post Thursday afternoon, the FFAW stated it was “mobilizing efforts to locate buyers willing to pay the FFAW price — regardless of the panel outcome.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:08
Local Fishing Industry Worried About Potential Environmental Risks from Baltic III
People in the Bay of Islands are worried that a ship which ran aground in the winter is still sitting there, posing a significant threat to the rich fishing grounds off Lark Harbour and York Harbour. FFAW President Dwan Street notes that the Baltic III is sitting on the rocks in Cedar Cove with hazardous materials and fuel onboard. She says they have seen reports of structural damage, leaks, and an oily mixture in the engine room. The longer the situation drags on, the greater the risk of a spill says the FFAW. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:03
No authority: Court rules NL fisheries minister erred in changing crab pricing date
It may not have any effect whatsoever on the start of the snow crab fishery, but the courts have decided Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne overstepped his authority by changing the deadline by which a price must be set. The issue landed before Justice Alexander MacDonald of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador when Byrne decided to change the date from April 1 to April 13. The date is crucial because the snow crab fishing season cannot open until the price and sale terms are set, provided the opening date has also been set by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Negotiations between FFAW-Unifor, the union that represents inshore fish harvesters and plant workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents fish processing companies in the province, failed to reach an agreement on price. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:05
Shelling it out: New $3.5-million fund aims to give NL more control over its lobster fishery
The provincial government is planning to infuse $3.5 million into the burgeoning lobster fishery. In a press release Tuesday, April 8, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture announced it is requesting applications through a Newfoundland and Labrador Lobster Technology and Innovation Request for Proposals as part of government’s effort to support new technology, processes and innovation in the lobster fishery. According to the release, the funding will be available to both commercial and non-commercial applicants. The level of support will vary from project to project with non-repayable contributions available to a maximum of $100,000 and a rate of assistance of up to 80 per cent, depending on the level of technology and risk of the project. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:02
Ready to fish: Harvesters, plant workers and processors await panel decision on NL snow crab pricing
Crab harvesters in most areas of Newfoundland and Labrador were able to start heading to their respective fishing grounds as of Monday, April 7, even though the price they’ll be getting for their catches has yet to be settled. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced the 2025 snow crab season will open on Thursday, April 10 in parts of fishing zones 3LNO, 3Ps, 3K and 4R3Pn, which collectively take in the waters off the coast of the island of Newfoundland. Harvesters in some areas within those zones could begin heading to the fishing grounds on Monday, though no pots could be set and no crab possessed until 6 a.m. Thursday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:43
Amid protests, quota cuts, and tariff threats, panel set to rule on snow crab prices
Amid quota cuts, protests, a court challenge and the constant uncertainty of a mercurial U.S. president, parties for both sides of the lucrative Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishery have submitted their price recommendations. Now, they wait. In a social media post on Sunday, the Fish Food and Allied Workers union said the price setting panel hearing on snow crab began that morning. The union is asking the panel for a starting price of $4.97 per pound this season. In the same post, the union said the Association of Seafood Producers is asking the panel for a starting price of $4.50 per pound. “Everyone hears about $5, $6, even $7 crab, so nobody is terribly thrilled at the idea of $4.97, and even less thrilled at the idea of $4.50,” said Ray Critch, a negotiator and policy manager for the FFAW. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:04
Economic State Making it Tough for the Fishery, Says Producer
A local value-added seafood producer says the current economic climate under U.S. tariffs has proved very challenging for his business. Danny Dumaresque of Labrador Gem Seafoods says half of his product has traditionally gone to the U.S. market, but “there’s no way to overcome a 25 per cent tariff.” While the province’s seafood industry has managed to avoid the tariff, for now, continued threats and the uncertainty that it created has forced many producers to look elsewhere. Dumaresque is now working on securing greater access to buyers in Spain, Italy, France and the U.K. Meanwhile, provincial fisheries minister Gerry Byrne has launched a Seafood Marketing Support Program to help local companies expand into global markets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:40
More fish, for now: Offshore welcomes latest NL northern cod assessment, union questions DFO science
The latest scientific assessment of northern cod is being touted as good news by companies with stakes in the offshore fishery but is being met with condemnation from the union representing inshore harvesters. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced its findings during a Thursday, April 3, technical briefing. One year ago, DFO’s stock assessment moved northern cod out of what’s known as the critical zone — a level where serious harm is occurring to the stock — to the cautious zone, a designation in which the stock can sustain some fishing pressure. That led to the lifting of the moratorium on commercially fishing for northern cod — the stock of the species found in the waters off Newfoundland’s eastern coast and as far north as the southern shores of Labrador. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:49
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
DFO releases ‘optimistic’ northern cod stock assessment
The latest northern cod stock assessment from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is more optimistic than last year’s, according to scientists. The stock is currently about twice the limit reference point, and the department says there’s a greater than 99 per cent probability it’s still above the critical zone in Newfoundland and Labrador. The limit reference point marks the boundary between what’s considered critical and cautious. Cautious and healthy zones were not specified in the assessment’s release on Thursday because an upper stock reference has not been established yet. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:03
Seafood producers confident in court challenge against N.L. government, fisheries union
The Association of Seafood Producers had its first day in court on Wednesday, challenging the Newfoundland and Labrador government and fisheries union over what it calls “political interference” during price setting negotiations ahead of the snow crab season. The court challenge was prompted when Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne moved the price setting deadline to April 13, following a request from the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union. The ASP says Byrne acted contrary to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act and turned to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador to quash the date change. “If the minister’s decision is quashed, and we expect it to be because he broke the law, then we’re in the situation where we don’t have a minister’s date,” ASP executive director Jeff Loder told reporters outside of the courthouse on Wednesday. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
Off to court: Why NL crab processors have filed a Supreme Court application claiming political interference
The Association of Seafood Producers has formally taken legal action against Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Gerry Byrne and FFAW-Unifor over the delay in determining a pricing formula for snow crab. The ASP has filed an application before the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, seeking a prerogative order in respect of Byrne’s decision to allow a delay of the decision to be made by the province’s Standing Fish Price-Setting Panel. The decision was already bumped back once to allow representatives to attend the Boston seafood show, considered a key event due to the tariff war, but was bumped back again shortly before the deadline this past weekend. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:47
ASP takes provincial government to court, alleging ‘political interference’ over pushing crab price deadline
The Association of Seafood Producers is accusing the Newfoundland and Labrador government of interfering in the price setting process for the annual snow crab harvest, and it’s launching legal action against the province as well as the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union. The deadline for price setting was April 1, but last week Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne shifted the date to April 13. According to documents filed at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, the ASP has turned to the courts to quash that order. “This matter is urgent. The fishery was to have started on April 1, 2025. The fisheries minister had improperly interfered with the operation of the panel as the purported date change in ultra vires,” wrote lawyer Stephen Penney in the ASP’s application. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:06
Back to the pricing board: Panel to hear submissions on NL snow crab pricing while union requests slight delay to season starting
After a busy week away from the negotiating table, the focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab season will shift to a hearing before the province’s Standing Fish Price Setting Panel on Saturday, March 29. Despite hopes to avoid having to resort to the panel to determine the minimum price for crab again this season, the union representing the province’s inshore fish harvesters and plant workers and the organization representing fish processing companies were unable to reach enough common ground for a new collective agreement. That means both sides will present their respective submissions to the panel, which will decide who has the most reasonable offer for pricing crab landings this coming season. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:41
Raising the sealing: Central Newfoundland Conservative candidate promises to revive beleagured seal hunt
The incumbent Member of Parliament for Central Newfoundland is vowing to bring back the seal hunt in the province. In an announcement made via a social media video post from outside the closed seal processing plant in Fleur de Lys on the Baie Verte Peninsula, Conservative candidate Clifford Small said restoring the seal harvest would bring balance to the ocean ecosystem and protect harvesting jobs and a way of life that has fallen by the wayside in recent times. Small — who was first elected in 2021 to represent the riding formerly known as Coast of Bays-Central-Nortre Dame — alleged the Liberal government has been trying to end the harvest. For the last decade, he said, the Liberal government has refused to listen to workers in the fishing industry and to evidence that showed unchecked seal and sea lion populations were depleting fish stocks. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:14
Carney calls NL ‘a model for the country’ during campaign stop in Gander, promises changes to fishery
Mark Carney’s brief tour through Newfoundland and Labrador resumed on Tuesday, March 24, in Gander. Standing in the famed International Lounge at the Gander International Airport, the Canadian Prime Minister warned the United States against any transgressions, tariff or otherwise, and touted the work his party has done over the last nine days, just as he had in St. John’s a day earlier. “It’s entirely right that the harvesters were there yesterday,” he said. “The Minister of Fisheries met with some of the representatives last evening. I understand their frustrations, given the situation in the water. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:20
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
Carney acknowledges protesting N.L. fish harvesters during 1st campaign stop
Liberal Leader Mark Carney kicked off his election campaign in St. John’s on Sunday, promising tax cuts and also addressing the hundreds of protesting fish harvesters outside the city’s convention centre. Protesters continued to block the lobby, despite securing a meeting with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson and a promise to look at restructuring the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. A heavy police and security presence remained at the centre on Sunday evening, as police guided Liberal attendees through alternative exits. During his speech, Carney acknowledged the protesting harvesters, and said he is there to listen. He said his government will take a closer look at the department of Fisheries and Oceans, with the goal of creating a sustainable fishery and potentially restructuring the department. Videos, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:31
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
FFAW Demands Reassessment of DFO’s Snow Crab Quota Cuts Following Overnight Protest
The FFAW says it has been told by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that a reduction is coming for snow crab in the 3K zone. The union says it has been told that a 25 per cent reduction was coming for offshore harvesters and 20 per cent for inshore. The union said late Friday night that the move is “misaligned with the ecological realities of the region.” On Friday, some 200 harvesters rallied outside the DFO office in Grand Falls-Windsor to protest proposed cuts to the snow crab quota in area 3K. Meanwhile, the FFAW says their occupation of the DFO office in Grand Falls-Windsor overnight Friday was peaceful, despite not being invited into the office. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:47
Some regions see large cuts to snow crab quotas, while total catch rises
Some areas of Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab fishery have seen major reductions, despite the total allowable catch as a whole going up 9 per cent. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans released their annual quota Saturday morning, but protesters were already demonstrating Friday in Grand Falls-Windsor against anticipated cuts in division 3K. Those cuts did arrive. 3K is the hardest hit, losing almost a quarter of last year’s total allowable catch at 7,643 tonnes, down from 9,998 tonnes in 2024. The FFAW is already anticipating a difficult season due to tariffs in the U.S., the single largest buyer of N.L. snow crab. In a release, the union said the cuts were “wholly unacceptable to fish harvesters, as they are fundamentally misaligned with the ecological realities of the region.” more, >> CLICK TO READ<< 16:31
FFAW DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM ST. ANTHONY SEAFOODS FOLLOWING SUDDEN PLANT CLOSURE AMID COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) is raising serious concerns after Royal Greenland’s St. Anthony Seafoods (SAS) production plant was found chained shut with “closed” signs posted on the gate, just 48 hours after the company. On Tuesday, FFAW-Unifor tabled its first proposal during negotiations in Deer Lake, focusing on key issues such as voluntary overtime and a guaranteed day of rest per week — standard provisions in fish plant contracts across the province. The company refused to present a counteroffer or engage meaningfully, abruptly leaving the session within the first 10 minutes without explanation. Senior Conciliator, Brian Kenny, from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador was present to witness the incident. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:32
Big day for little shrimp: NL fish union hopes positive update on northern shrimp stock status translates into good news for fishery
The latest stock assessment for northern shrimp, which used a revised approach to project the health of the species off the Newfoundland and Labrador coast, is being welcomed by the union that represents the provinces inshore harvesters and plant workers. In a technical briefing on Wednesday, March 19, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) officially projected northern shrimp will be in the healthy zone, in accordance to the department’s precautionary approach to species management. For the latest assessment, DFO combined six fishing areas all along the eastern coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador, collapsing them into two stock assessment regions divided by the boundary between Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 2H and 2J. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:12
