Harvesters demand free enterprise in fishery
About 30 showed up at MHA’S office in Port aux Basques to support call for more free enterprise in fishery
Business didn't function as usual for the staff of Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial government on Wednesday.
For weeks, Fish, Food, and Allied Workers (FFAW) members have protested on the front steps of the Confederation Building in St. John's.
They are advocating for free enterprise. Fish harvesters say they have limited choice when selling their products.
"We're supposed to be in a free market, but we've got no say in who we sell our product to, we got one company. That's not a free market," said Long Island fisherman Bruce Short.
MASS BLOCKADES
Early Wednesday morning, FFAW members started showing up by the hundreds, blocking every entrance of the Confederation Building.
Staff and media were unable to get inside. RNC officers lined the building's entrances.
The police monitored crowds and lined the building's perimeters. In one area, a police car blocked the entrance to the public gallery.
The RNC'S mounted unit was also on the scene, bringing on some moments of tension as police tried to break up crowds.
One protester started hitting the back of a horse as RNC officers approached.
Police officers attempted to de-escalate the crowds when public servants, including the premier's director of communications, Meghan Mccabe, tried to make their way to work.
"We're looking for a better life for our kids because right now there is no future in this fishery," said fish harvester Jim Chidley.
Chidley said fish harvesters, unlike government employees in the Confederation Building, don't have the privilege to work from home, because their work is out on the water.
"We're here to stand up for our rights. We don't want to be controlled by this process or by the government anymore, basically," he said.
'KICKED IN THE HEAD'
Chidley is one of many fish harvesters trying to protect their livelihoods.
David Pickett from Centreville, Bonavista Bay, left at 2 a.m. to travel to St. John's for the protest.
"We want free enterprise, but we also want our money. We got kicked in the head last year by the plants," Pickett said.
"We went from $7.50 down to $2.20 — two-thirds of our income.
CORNER BROOK — While fish harvesters followed through on their strategy to “fill the hill,” the Confederation Building in St. John’s wasn’t the only place they demonstrated on Wednesday, March 20.
Hundreds of harvesters demanding more free enterprise in the industry made their presence known at the legislature, even forcing a delay in the provincial budget that was supposed to be brought down.
There were others unable to get to the capital city who decided to congregate at their local MHA’S office to let their respective elected members know support for the cause extended far beyond the group at the Confederation Building.
Around 30 harvesters gathered outside the office of Industry, Energy and Technology Minister Andrew Parsons, the Liberal MHA for Burgeo-la Poile, in Port aux Basques. Among them was Troy Hardy, a 34-year-old harvester from Burnt Islands.
After owning an enterprise for a few years, Hardy bought a lobster licence last season.
He said it was important for him and his fellow harvesters from the southwest coast area — most of whom are lobster fishermen — to show their support for their colleagues and their union, Ffawunifor, by heading to their MHA’S constituency office.
As things stand now, said Hardy, the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), has full control over harvesters of all species in Newfoundland and Labrador. Harvesters want more free enterprise in the system so they are not dependent on selling to the ASP but can go elsewhere if they can find another buyer outside the association.
Last year, crab harvesters unhappy with the price the ASP was offering for their product tied up their boats for six weeks after the scheduled start of the season. They eventually went fishing for the same price originally offered.
The union and the ASP are still trying to negotiate a new pricing formula that would see both sides share the risks associated with the marketplace, but no deal has been reached, with the fishery supposed to start in about three weeks.
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has yet to set the opening date for snow crab, which was April 10 in 2023, and has yet to announce quotas for the 2024 season.
“The FFAW are going into these negotiations with their hands tied,” said Hardy. “If the processors don’t want to buy our products, then we have no other option. … We have guys here who are loyal and faithful to Codroy Seafoods, but the ASP as a whole are negotiating in bad faith. If you had outside buyers, it would at least keep the process fair.”
OPENING FLOODGATES
Selling lobsters to outside buyers is fairly simple and has been done in the past with lobster, especially western Newfoundland lobster. Crab, explained Hardy, is not so easy because plants would have to be equipped to deal with that species.
The provincial government has issued a call for expressions of interest in outside buyers exporting live snow crab from Newfoundland and Labrador. Ffaw-unifor wants the same for all species, although some critics have said the interest may not be there for all species and product exported means less work for local fish plant workers.
“An expression of interest for lobster would be a totally different story (than one for crab),” said Hardy. “You’re opening up the floodgates then.
“There’s lots of interest in lobster outside the province, especially for us harvesters on the southwest coast. We’re here at the gateway to Newfoundland. It would be such a slick process to send lobsters across. Nothing to it.”
Hardy supports allowing outside buyers for any species so the market can determine the best price for harvesters.
“The bottom line is, at least it gives you another option,” he said.
STICKING TOGETHER
Hardy says outside buyers would not harm local plant workers.
“Besides holding the ASP accountable, I don’t see it being a big change in their operations,” he said. “It would probably just give us a fair price and, if fishermen here got that, they would be happy with it.
“If you’re being pushed somewhere where you have no control, it doesn’t work that way and we’re not going to stand for that. … The sticking point now is processing caps, but, as harvesters and union members, we have to stick together.”
The union has called on the government to lift all processing caps and to grant new processing licences, in addition to permitting outside buyers.
In its response to the union, the provincial government said it will increase processing capacity for snow crab prior to the start of the 2024 season.
The extent of this measure will depend, according to the province, on the total allowable catch, which has yet to be announced by DFO.
Hardy said there needs to be broad changes made to how the fishing industry is managed.
“I think if you have outside buyers for all species, when we move into negotiations there’s going to be a different atmosphere,” said Hardy.
“The ASP is going to understand that they have to play fair or we can go elsewhere.”