The rising cost of diesel is eating into the bottom line for many fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador.
FFAW President Keith Sullivan says huge increases in diesel prices are having a significant impact as harvesters get ready to prosecute the crab fishery.
He says it’s making pricing fish more challenging and is causing some enterprise owners to make serious decisions about how many crew they need to hire.
He says one harvester told him that before he even goes out on the water he has to put $60,000 dollars worth of fuel in his boat. Sullivan says shrimp prices haven’t changed much since last year, and a single trip could cost $20,000 dollars in fuel, meaning some crews could be smaller.