'Where are we headed?: Western Newfoundland fish harvesters worried about future of industry in Canada

Seafood

Canada

Market & Price Trends

Innovation & Technology

Published Mar 22, 2024

Tridge summary

Fish harvesters in western Newfoundland are protesting for more free enterprise in the fishing industry, citing concerns about the future of the inshore fishery. They argue that the current system leaves them vulnerable to buyers who can refuse to pay the negotiated price for their catch, discouraging young people from entering the industry due to high costs and uncertainty. The harvesters are demanding the right to sell their catch to any buyer and are urging the government to develop a plan to rebuild collapsed fish stocks. Despite no agreed price for snow crab this year, and no opening date or quotas announced, the protests are about broader industry concerns.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

CORNER BROOK, N.L. — Ernest Decker is 66 and has been fishing for 53 of those years. The harvester from Rocky Harbour is ready to retire, but is concerned about the current state and the future of the inshore fishery in western Newfoundland. He was among more than 100 harvesters from all over western Newfoundland who gathered at the Sir Richard Squires Building in Corner Brook on Thursday, March 21 to show their support for the ongoing demonstrations by fish harvesters in St. John’s. Like those colleagues in St. John’s and other provincial government offices across the province, those who made the trek to Corner Brook want to see more free enterprise in the fishing industry. Like many others along the west coast of the province, Decker’s main species to fish is lobster, though he does have small crab and halibut quotas too. He gave his own personal example of what it’s like being at the whim of buyers under the current system. Last year, he said the union — FFAW-Unifor — had ...

Source: Saltwire