The union which represents harvesters and plant workers is calling for immediate action to protect the province’s northern shrimp fishery.

The northern Shrimp Advisory Committee is meeting in Halifax but the FFAW says management decisions are being made in the absence of actual science.

Greg Pretty, President of FFAW-Unifor, is concerned that Ottawa may close the northern shrimp fishery in Area 6.

The FFAW is demanding to see catch-per-unit data from 2022, comparative fishing data, and a rebuilding plan for shrimp fishing area 6.

The current “limit reference point, ” a key factor in determining quotas and status for a fishery, was adopted in 2014. The union wants it reviewed now but says DFO won’t start the review until next year.

Area 6, which is off the northeast coast, is the largest of any shrimp zone and the union says it has been showing signs of improvement.