The public gallery was cleared and Question Period recessed following another disruption in the House of Assembly today.

Fish harvesters have been gathering at Confederation Building for days, trying to put pressure on the provincial government to address what they see as structure issues in the province’s fishery.

Crab price negotiations are currently underway, but frustrated harvesters want greater competition for the fish they catch and are asking that they be allowed to sell to outside buyers willing to buy.

Debate in the house once again got heated as Opposition Leader Tony Wakeham asked the Premier and Fisheries Minister Elvis Loveless for an update on when harvesters can expect their concerns to be addressed.

“So I ask the premier will you get directly involved and making sure that our fishery starts on time?” Wakeham asked the Premier. Furey says the province is committed to addressing issues in the fishery by “doing a fulsome evaluation of that to ensure that we protect the industry”. “Words, words, words, ” Wakeham responded, his voice being drowned out by cheers and applause from the gallery. “When, when, when? Tell that to the people of rural Newfoundland and Labrador who are concerned about their jobs, tell that to the fish plant workers, tell that to the people of the gallery!”

Speaker Derek Bennett temporarily recessed the sitting when disruptions in the gallery persisted.