There are only a few days left before the two main players in the crab fishery need to reach an agreement on prices but intervention by the price setting panel seems unavoidable.

The Association of Seafood Producers and the FFAW have until Monday before the panel steps in and decides the price.

Lorelei Roberts, executive director of the association, says so far they are the only ones at the table.

The FFAW has indicated that they no longer wish to participate in that process, and would rather go back to collective bargaining whereby harvesters can strike if they don’t get what they deem to be a fair deal. Under the current mechanism, strike action is illegal.

Not only is she concerned about not getting their product to market early in the fishery when prices are usually the highest, but she fears harvesters will sell their catch to buyers outside the province, meaning no work for local fish plants.

“We don’t get product to market until around April 10th and if we’re not in that early window when prices are peaking, it will be a loss to everyone,” says Roberts.