The newly formed Fisheries Protective Co-operative is taking a deliberate page from the past in both its name, and its aim to advance the economic interest of inshore fish harvesters.

Spokesperson Ryan Cleary says the name of the new co-op is a direct reference to the Fishermen’s Protective Union formed by William Ford Coaker more than a century ago.

Cleary says like Coaker, the FPC was formed to help inshore enterprise owners.

“He did that to provide harvesters with a greater share of the wealth produced by their labour and that’s exactly what we want to do” says Cleary. “Inshore harvesters need as much, or more protection, in 2024 as they did in Coaker’s day.”

Now that the co-op is incorporated, Cleary says the next order of business is to find a processor willing to process their catches in this province.