Provincial Fisheries Minister Elvis Loveless has written the FFAW outlining what he calls the action taken on the four items raised by the union and its members to improve competitiveness in the NL fishery.
The update comes following weeks of protests by harvesters outside Confederation Building that ended up delaying the tabling of the budget for what government called safety reasons.
In a letter sent to Union President Greg Pretty and released publicly late Monday, Loveless says the province has initiated an open invitation to fish buyers and processors to submit an application for a Fish Buyers License to export any and all commercial species out of the province for the 2024 fishing season.
Please see the below letter which Minister Loveless sent to President of the FFAW today regarding the fishing industry in Newfoundland and Labrador: pic.twitter.com/UOSzJ6ggoi
— Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture NL (@FFA_GovNL) April 1, 2024
Processing capacity in the crab processing sector has also been increased by five million pounds and Loveless says he’s taken “the necessary steps to remove primary processing prohibitions from all value-added licenses.”
A Harvesting, Fish Processing and Fish Plant Employment Monitoring Committee will be formed to provide “timely information and advice” to help ensure the best economic benefit to “all people of the province.”
Loveless says the committee will include three members from the FFAW, including one current plant worker.