Crab harvesters say they made progress in a meeting with the premier and other members of cabinet yesterday, and all players will get together in one room to try to calm the waters.

The FFAW presented government with four demands including the establishment of a new regime to set the price of crab. Last year’s price resulted in a deficit for harvesters of over $1 per pound according to the union. The companies say that estimate is heavily exaggerated.

The post-season rebate process, which is overseen by Deloitte, set the rebate at 26 cents.

Union President Dwan Street, who says harvesters won’t fish for an unfair price, was encouraged by the meeting.

“Premier Wakeham and Ministers O’Driscoll and Goosney have a lot of work to do but from what we heard from them, they understand it. This is not going to be fixed in a day but I think we’re on the right path,” says Street.

“It’s just going to take a lot of guts from this government,” she said on VOCM Open Line.