A fish harvester out of La Scie on the Baie Verte Peninsula has launched a petition calling for the crab fishery to open.

It has been delayed by DFO at the request of the FFAW, but Terry Ryan says it’s getting late in the season for some areas as once “soft shell” sets in, the crab pots come out.

DFO has said it will not open the season before May 11 but with an independent panel to set the price late this afternoon, Ryan says there’s no reason to wait any longer as the safety protocols are in place and have been for a few weeks. Some plants are already processing imported crab.