Shrimp fishermen set on survival
Despite cutbacks and an extended crab fishery, shrimp harvesters still making their way
With increased uncertainty for the industry, shrimp fishermen along the Northern Peninsula are still working hard and hoping for the best in the midst of another season.
Anchor Point fisherman Roland Genge says Shrimp Fishing Area (SFA) 8 has supplied his boat with roughly 800-1,000 pounds per hour, and in areas such as Port Harbour, it can be found all over the grounds.
“Boats are spread right out and getting pretty much the same amount of catch right on through,” Genge said.
Area 8 expands along the western coast of the island, from the tip of the Northern Peninsula down as far the southwestern shores, while the much-larger Area 6 extends to the eastern side of the Northern Peninsula down to central Newfoundland.
With biomass declining and quota cuts causing mass grievance among fishermen across the island, Genge says the fears and anxieties surrounding the shrimp populations are not to be found where he’s been casting nets. The shrimp population appears as plentiful as ever.
“It’s not as bad as they say in Area 8,” he said. “The catch seems better this year. It’s clean tows – we’re running into no trouble with red fish.”
Area 6 has been through a rough haul, with major cuts in quota both this year and last. Now, with an extended crab fishery, shrimp fishermen in the area are finding themselves confined to tight-knit spaces.
Stan Rumbolt fishes in both Areas 6 and 8. He’s had a much rougher go of it with Area 6 due to the water being filled with crab fishermen.
“With all the crab gear, you can’t get what you want to get,” Rumbolt said. “Whether the catch is worse in the area, you can’t tell yet, because you can’t get to where you want to go.”
With recent closures to processing plants, effects of the quota cuts are already being felt in communities that rely on the shrimp fishery in Area 6.
Rumbolt says the cuts were unnecessary, and without the crab gear taking up so much of the area, its possible he could get an even stronger catch than in Area 8.
“It’s awful cuts, with 40 per cent one year and 60 the next,” he said. “They’ve taken everything from us.”
Genge expects July and August to be even stronger months for the Area 8 fishery, as his catch has been picking up with each trip.
But many fishermen may not need the additional weeks.
“When you get stuck to a confined spot, the season can go really slow,” Genge said. “Because the shrimp is so spread out this year, the season has been going a lot quicker.”
Genge has landed three trips and expects to have met his quota with three more. He says while it can be good to get an easy catch, the short season definitely has fishermen suffering economically.
“It’s hard to operate and run a business on such a short season,” he said.
Rumbolt agrees with this sentiment.
“It’s not going to be a prosperous year, but we’ll survive,” Rumbolt said.
The possibility of more cuts to shrimp coming down the line is on the minds of both Genge and Rumbolt. Even with evidence of strong populations in Area 8, there is a certain sense of unpredictability pervading the fishermen’s minds.
“They’re doing that much now, it’s hard to say what will happen,” Rumbolt said. “It’s in a big state, that’s for sure. We just got to wait and take it one year at a time.”