The Premier says he cannot request a postponement of the Price Setting Panel, but he did advise the union to seek a pause in the process.

Premier Tony Wakeham was responding to a dispute unfolding just days before the official start of the lucrative snow crab fishery.

The FFAW had planned a demonstration at Confederation Building today (yesterday), but that was postponed after a conversation with the Premier Sunday night.

The union wants to have snow crab removed from Final Offer Selection.

The Premier says his ultimate aim is to bring the union and the Association of Seafood Producers together to negotiate a price.

“I advised FFAW that they should communicate with the panel, which they did,” Wakeham told reporters. “But what I’m really interested in is getting the two parties back together and negotiate a price.”