FFAW has done worse damage to fisheries than harp seals or seismic blasting: FISH-NL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, March 19th, 2019
15:28
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) says the FFAW-Unifor has done worse damage to the province’s commercial fisheries than harp seals or seismic blasting.
“Fishermen are nothing but a cash cow to the FFAW,” says Peter Leonard, Vice-President of FISH-NL and an inshore harvester from Southern Harbour.
“The FFAW is working hand-in-hand with oil companies, the federal and provincial governments, and the aquaculture industry, and we’re being played for fools,” he added. “The union even has its own fish quotas in competition with its own members, which is just bloody ridiculous.”
The FFAW-Unifor has scheduled a demonstration for noon Wednesday at the Delta Hotel in downtown St. John’s to “fight for the future of our fisheries.”
The FISH-NL executive will not be taking part in the demonstration.
“I can’t justify standing shoulder to shoulder with the FFAW executive when the union had a hand in robbing inshore harvesters and rural communities of their future in the first place,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “The irony isn’t lost on any inshore harvester that the same union that been slowing sucking the life out of the fishery is now out to save it.”
“And what exactly is the FFAW demonstrating about?” asked Cleary. “Harvesters could be shooting themselves in the foot by protesting without knowing any specifics. Only the FFAW knows what’s up its sleeve, which is the problem.”
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Contact Ryan Cleary: 682 4862
