The fish blockades are coming down after Ocean Choice International won an injunction in court yesterday.

The FFAW says harvesters and plant workers set up blockades in South Brook and Clarenville, Sunday night, after learning that crab would be imported to Newfoundland for processing.

Harvesters don’t want crab imported from other provinces as the practice could be detrimental to their catch limits. The FFAW says it also encourages plants to open at a time when there are questions about the availability of certain types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Triton Mayor Jason Roberts says the plant would not exist if not for imported crab as it does not process any crab caught off Newfoundland and Labrador. He says about 120 jobs depend on that product.

Harvester Trevor Jones, meanwhile, says they do not want crab coming into the province for processing as they could end up not being able to catch their quota.

He suspects DFO will reduce their trip limits when the NL season begins, which means fewer fish being landed off this province.

The FFAW claims that OCI wants to ‘double-dip’ by having people work and collect money from government, however, Martin Sullivan of OCI says they haven’t applied for any subsidies.

He says they haven’t applied for anything; all they are focused on is getting their workplaces safe so people can go back to work. Sullivan says he’s sick and tired of the FFAW’s tactics in this province. He says union workers are afraid to speak up for fear of retribution.

Meanwhile, the FFAW has submitted an opening price of $4.25 per pound for crab, while the Association of Seafood Producers has proposed one cent. The association says that’s just the technical aspect of their opening proposal to kickstart the price-setting process.