The FFAW says it has received confirmation that DFO does not intend to reallocated a yellowtail flounder quota to the inshore fishery, despite transferring 450 metric tons to the US.
The stock is managed by the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Canada was allocated a quota of 16,575 metric tons in 2019. In 2008, Ottawa made a 10-year deal with the US, signing over 1,000 metric tons of yellowtail to American fish harvesters each year.
It included what the FFAW calls a “secret addendum” added in 2010 that committed to continuing a US quota share.
The rest of the quota is caught by offshore companies, significant portions of which have not been harvested in years according to the union.
DFO has told the FFAW there are no plans to reallocate the quota and if the inshore wants access they must make a deal with offshore companies.
Union President Keith Sullivan says they reject that notion.
Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne raised concerns about the “secret deal” earlier this week, in addition to what he calls a “secret, secret” deal.
In 2010 the federal government made a commitment to the United States that on completion of the 10-year agreement, it would support the US in getting a permanent equal quota from NAFO.
Byrne says as soon as he found out, he told DFO that opening the quota keys was “very, very dangerous.” He says the FFAW and the industry were only made aware of the deal recently.
He says both the EU and the Russian Federation indicated that they did not want the quota keys opened, but if they were, they wanted in.
Byrne says they have some of the “toothpaste back in the tube” by knocking it down from 1,000 to 450 metric tons, but his message to Ottawa is “just say no” because the consequences are so dire.