The Executive Director of the Association of Seafood Producers is urging both sides not to walk away from the current challenges facing the snow crab fishery.
The FFAW yesterday agreed to go out fishing but on the condition that the provincial government immediately lift any restrictions on selling to outside buyers for all species.
That, according to the fishery minister’s office, is unlikely without full consultations.
Jeff Loder says harvesters in both the Maritimes and Quebec have been fishing for a month at $2.25 a pound, but there are important factors dictating the difference in price.
He says $2.25 puts Newfoundland and Labrador producers at a significant disadvantage. NL producers pay workers’ compensation while in the Maritimes and Quebec, they don’t. In addition, according to Loder, transportation and operation costs in NL are higher than in the rest of Atlantic Canada.
He says $2.20 gives local harvesters a good share of the market price.
When the price was first set, the market was $5.75 US on the market, leaving harvesters with a 43 percent share of the price. Since then, Loder says the market has dropped, leaving harvesters with more than 50 per cent of the share. That, says Loder, is a reasonable price and “it’s time to start fishing.”
Questions Surrounding Outside Buyers
A long-time critic of the FFAW is questioning the reasoning behind the request to allow outside buyers into the province to purchase local fish products.
Terry Ryan of LaScie, whose enterprise has already set pots to fish crab, told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly such a measure would benefit nobody.
“Why would an outside buyer come to Newfoundland to buy fish of any species when he can get it cheaper in his own province?” Ryan asks, “I mean, he’d be out of his mind.”
Ryan is calling for the resignation of FFAW President Greg Pretty and questions why the union leadership has not openly condemned alleged intimidation tactics being used by some harvesters against others.
Protest at FFAW Headquarters
Meanwhile, around 100 fish harvesters gathered at FFAW headquarters in search of answers surrounding the crab fishery.
Jason Sullivan, a fish harvester from Bay Bulls and a longtime critic of the union, says harvesters are confused and in need of answers, as reports of boats hitting the waters grow.
The FFAW is not supporting harvesters fishing for crab at this time.
Sullivan says that the union cannot determine the price of crab, but they have been ineffective in their negotiations.
He says they have not gained anything through six weeks of negotiations, and rural Newfoundland is out $500 million because of it.
Correction: A previous version of this story on VOCM.com contained a headline indicating that Loder was urging a return to crab talks. That is incorrect. Loder is urging all players not to give up on the fishery, and says now is the time to start fishing.
