The FFAW says it has been told by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that a reduction is coming for snow crab in the 3K zone.
The union says it has been told that a 25 per cent reduction was coming for offshore harvesters and 20 per cent for inshore. The union said late Friday night that the move is “misaligned with the ecological realities of the region.”
On Friday, some 200 harvesters rallied outside the DFO office in Grand Falls-Windsor to protest proposed cuts to the snow crab quota in area 3K.
The department says that stock assessments are low, but the union wants the federal body to reassess the numbers.
The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Newfoundland and Labrador Region in 2025 is just over 62,000 tonnes, an overall quota level increase of nine per cent from 2024.
FFAW Spokesperson Jason Spingle says while the news is good in some areas, others may not be able to make it onto the water due to the cuts.
“With the science, they felt that if there was any cut, it had to be minimal, like less than 20 per cent, 10 for the inshore at the most. I think they could have worked with that. 25 per cent and 20 per cent just doesn’t fit with the fishery and the trap survey,” he told VOCM News.
Meanwhile, the FFAW says their occupation of the DFO office in Grand Falls-Windsor overnight Friday was peaceful, despite not being invited into the office.
(Courtesy FFAW)
Spingle says protesters left the site 24 hours after they arrived in Grand Falls-Winsor to protest quota cuts for snow crab.
He says they were not told to leave the office at any point, and the situation was closely monitored by the RCMP.
“What I know is the door was open at one point and people were in there and the building was occupied by people overnight. Everything was very peaceful and people showed their resolve that way,” he said.
VOCM News has reached out to DFO for comment.
