FFAW Welcomes New Federal Fisheries Minister

July 26, 2023 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal cabinet shuffle today has announced Diane Lebouthillier as the new Minister for Fisheries and Oceans, replacing the Joyce Murray as the federal head of fisheries management. The Union that represents all inshore fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador looks forward to working with Minister Lebouthillier, hoping for a renewed focus on robust science and economically sustainable management.

“I want to thank Minister Joyce Murray for the time spent in the portfolio and her directness with me during the months we worked together,” says FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “I am very much looking forward to meeting with Minister Lebouthillier in the coming days and our members hope that, going forward, DFO White Hills will have an ‘open for business’ approach to better collaborate with fish harvesters,” Pretty says.

FFAW-Unifor, which represents over 14,000 working Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, has several pressing issues requiring federal attention, such as northern cod, seal overpopulation, redfish, inadequate science surveys in most commercial species, as well as the economic support proposal for those affected by a 70% downturn this year in the crab industry.

“It’s clear there is a disconnect between fish harvesters and DFO in Ottawa. My goal is to work with Minister Lebouthillier to bridge that gap and ensure harvesters’ voices are not only heard, but respected, by the federal decision makers who control their livelihood,” concludes Pretty.

For inquiries,

Courtney Glode (she/her)

FFAW-Unifor

[email protected]

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The New England groundfish debacle (Part III): who or what is at fault? Nils E. Stolpe/FishNet

It took me a while to decide how to most accurately describe the situation that has been visited upon the New England fishing communities that are and since colonial times have been dependent on the groundfish fisheries.

NILS STOLPE: The New England groundfish debacle (Part IV): Is cutting back harvest really the answer?

While it’s a fact that’s hardly ever acknowledged, the assumption in fisheries management is that if the population of a stock of fish isn’t at some arbitrary level, it’s because of too much fishing. Hence the term “overfished.” Hence the mandated knee jerk reaction of the fisheries managers to not enough fish; cut back on fishing. What of other factors? They don’t count. It’s all about fishing, because fishing is all that the managers can control; it’s their Maslow’s Hammer. When it comes to the oceans it seems as if it’s about all that the industry connected mega-foundations that support the anti-fishing ENGOs with hundreds of millions of dollars a year in “donations” are interested in controlling. Read the article here

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