Tag Archives: U.S. President Donald Trump
For some N.S. fishers, grievances with Liberals outweigh U.S. tariff worries
For some fishers in Nova Scotia this federal election, a lingering sense of grievance toward the Liberals outweighs questions on who can take on U.S. President Donald Trump. Aboard his fishing boat at the wharf in Riverport, N.S., Jason Conrad joined with fellow lobster harvesters Geordy Bennett and Troy Tanner in describing how their loyalties have shifted to the Conservatives over the past decade. “The future doesn’t look great. You’re not sure about investing in the fishery because you don’t where it’s going to be in 10 years,” said Conrad, a 36-year-old captain. Tanner, 51, doesn’t see the new Liberal Leader Mark Carney as an agent of change. “It seems like everyone thinks Carney is the better guy because of Trump. But Trump isn’t the problem. We have our own problems,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:35
In a Tiny Gulf Town, Big Cheers for Trump’s Tariffs
“When I saw the announcement, I could hardly believe it at first,” said Jeremy Zirlott, a commercial shrimper in town. “It seemed too good to be true.” In Bayou La Batre and small shrimping towns like it, the economy has cratered in recent years on the back of a deluge of cheap, farmed shrimp. Fishermen unable to sell their shrimp to break even on gas, labor and supplies have had to tie up their boats. Supply shops, seafood processors, marine technicians and others in the industry have suffered, too. More than 90% of the millions of pounds of shrimp consumed annually in the U.S. is imported, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, based on an analysis of data from the U.S. International Trade Commission. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:53
Snow crab quotas way up for some Cape Bretoners, way down for others
Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab fishermen are learning who’ll be winners and losers when quotas are divided up for the 2025 season. At a meeting with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in Moncton this week, the commercial fishermen in Area 19 (near shore in western Cape Breton) learned they’ll get a 42 per cent quota increase. That’ll offset quota cuts in the past two years that equaled about the same. The much larger Area 12 fishery, which covers the central Gulf of St. Lawrence all the way to New Brunswick, meanwhile, can expect to see an over 20 per cent cut to their quota. Demand for snow crab is high in the United States, where 85 per cent of what’s caught in the southern Gulf goes. Prices were around $4 a pound last year and it was hoped to be higher this season. But U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of a 25 per cent tariff could hurt everyone’s bottom line. “We’re waiting on Trump, like every industry from forestry to mining,” said MacLean. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:22
Nova Scotia taking more steps toward offshore wind development
Nova Scotia is stepping closer to the development of offshore wind farms in its open waters, but the success of the province’s pursuit is far from certain. In the past two weeks, the provincial and federal governments formalized the regulatory body that will oversee offshore wind development, announced their membership in the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, and received a report that’s meant to guide their next steps. But there are obstacles to overcome. Another challenge, according to Daborn, is finding a way to support offshore wind while also protecting existing ocean industries. “We have a great deal of concern, particularly about the fisheries, and it is clear that we wouldn’t want to sacrifice the fisheries in any real way in order just to produce some electrons,” he said. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
Fish harvester says possible tariffs leave N.L.’s fishery with a lot of uncertainty
A pause in the tariff dispute with the United States is not bringing any comfort to Lee Melindy. “We’ve got to have fishing, we’ve got to have processors, and we got a company to send it into the States,” he said. “Those are all a circle. And if one of those pieces of the circle falls apart, it is detrimental on the rest of it.” Melindy is a fish harvester based in Lumsden, N.L. He’s a full-time crew member, deck boss and helps his father — the enterprise owner — in the wheelhouse. It’s been almost 30 years since he first entered the fishery, and he’s seen a lot of changes. “Over the years, I mean, we’ve had uphill battles and we’ve been good and whatnot, but when you’re looking at a possible four years, it could be very serious into the operating of an enterprise,” he said. This week, U.S. president Donald Trump said he would put a hold on his proposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods for 30 days. With that, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paused Canada’s counter-tariffs. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<<07:30
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
‘There will be no winners.’ Atlantic Canada braces for impact of U.S. tariffs
The looming trade war between Canada and the United States raised alarm throughout the Atlantic provinces on Monday as leaders calculated the economic toll of hefty tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the executive director of the Association of Seafood Producers said the province’s lucrative crab fishery is in jeopardy, and he’s not sure if it will open as expected next month. “I cannot sit here today and say there will be a fishery,” Jeff Loder told a news conference in St. John’s. “This is a serious situation …. We’re going to do everything we can to have a fishery, but we need to be prepared for whatever transpires.” The tariffs are the biggest threat to the province’s seafood industry since the 1992 cod moratorium, which wiped out about 30,000 jobs and a centuries-old way of life in Canada’s easternmost province, Loder added. more, >>Click to read<< 16:39
U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods will come into effect Saturday, White House says
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday offered vague details on his plans to impose tariffs on goods coming from Canada, Mexico and China, after a spokesperson said they would take effect Saturday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president would put a 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico and a 10 per cent tariff on goods from China during a briefing on Friday. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office hours later, Trump said he expects the tariffs would include oil, gas, steel, aluminum, copper and microchips — but potentially with staggered dates and rates, depending on the product. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she heard the president’s public comments but had not received any further information. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:36
St. John’s business leaders waiting to see if Trump moves on tariffs as presidency begins
As U.S. President Donald Trump begins his second term in office, the president of the FFAW says she’s playing the waiting game to see how threatened tariffs will take shape. FFAW President Dwan Street voiced concern about how a proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods — including fish — could affect local markets. For example, she said, 90 per cent of snow crab exports from Newfoundland and Labrador go to the United States. “A 25 per cent tariff, we see it as being absolutely devastating,” Street said Monday. An official with Trump’s administration confirmed to Reuters on Monday that Trump will hold off on tariffs for now but will direct agencies to “investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations. The majority of Canada’s premiers, including Andrew Furey, have said they’ll stand against any tariffs. “Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:46
