Union, processors recommend increase in capelin quota
Environmental groups have asked DFO to temporarily halt the province’s capelin fishery so stocks can rebuild
CORNER BROOK — While they may have been at odds for snow crab pricing, harvesters and processors have put up a united front when it comes to capelin — both recommend an increase in the capelin quota.
Things were heated between Ffaw-unifor, the union that represents the province’s fish harvesters and plant workers, and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents the province’s fish processors, as disagreement over a minimum price for crab resulted in a delayed start to that fishery for the second year in a row.
Before a snow crab pricing arrangement was finally agreed upon and harvesters started to set their crab pots, the FFAW and ASP had walked out of advisory meetings on the capelin fishery held by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Gander on March 22.
The meeting was for the capelin fishery in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 2J3KL, which extends from southern Labrador to along the north, eastern and southern coasts of Newfoundland.
DFO recently lifted the 2J3KL capelin stock out of what’s known as the critical zone, a level at which harm is being done to the stock.
The FFAW and ASP were upset that DFO had elevated the status of two non-governmental environmental organizations for the talks. DFO changed the status of both Oceana Canada and Oceans North from observers to full members of the advisory committee.
The difference meant the groups could be active participants during discussions about capelin, as opposed to being limited to providing written submissions beforehand, observing the meetings and being permitted to ask questions as the proceedings concluded.
Harvesters and processors insist these environmental organizations have a sole mandate of shutting down the fishery and such a position doesn’t warrant the status DFO granted them on the advisory committee.
NOT SEEKING PERMANENT SHUTDOWN
In an interview with The Telegram after the FFAW and ASP walked out of the meeting in Gander, Jack Daly, a marine scientist with Oceana Canada, said the groups do not seek a permanent end to any fishery, but do support a short-term closure to the capelin fishery until DFO can show how the stock can be rebuilt.
Capelin being lifted into the cautious zone does not mean there are more of the crucial forage species in the ocean. The change is related to DFO having also raised northern cod, which consume capelin, out of the critical and into the cautious zone.
The limit reference point, which represents the stock status below which serious harm is occurring to the stock, for 2J3KL capelin was revised by DFO from 640 kilotonnes to 155 kilotonnes.
In 2023, there was a total allowable catch (TAC) of 14,533 tonnes for capelin, 78 per cent of which was landed by harvesters.
REQUESTING QUOTA INCREASE
In a social media post on Thursday, April 18, Ffaw-unifor said Oceana Canada and Oceans North have called for the closure of fisheries like capelin and mackerel, irrespective of harvesters’ observations and the effect on fishing communities.
DFO rescheduled the advisory meeting to April 4, but harvesters and processors boycotted that meeting too. That same day, Oceana Canada issued a press release saying it attended the DFO meeting and was calling for a temporary halt to the capelin fishery.
The FFAW and ASP chose to instead have an industry meeting on April 5. At this meeting, harvesters and processors reviewed the science and discussed the upcoming season and made recommendations to DFO, including raising the total allowable catch to 23,000 tonnes.
FFAW president Greg Pretty told The Telegram in an interview on Tuesday, April 16, that it was audacious of the environmental groups to be asking to close the capelin fishery and a fundamental problem for DFO to give such organizations an opportunity to use the advisory committee as a platform.
“If DFO continues to put groups like that, who are counter to the interest of the stakeholders in the industry, that’s counterproductive,” said Pretty. “We have to rely on science, some of our own and some from DFO, to not only have the capelin fishery work, but others.
“Closures to fisheries are answers to nothing, so we have to be very cautious when we encounter these groups.”
ASP executive director Jeff Loder echoed Pretty’s sentiment during an interview on Monday, April 15, and said processors are not willing to negotiate with organizations intent on stopping a fishery.
“We fundamentally reject the notion that a non-profit organization whose stated goal is to end the fishery and uses that goal to raise money should be part of any management committee. … It’s OK for those organizations to provide comments, but not have a seat at the table of a management committee,” said Loder.
Both Pretty and Loder said they would communicate their perspectives to the federal fisheries minister’s office, if not at an advisory committee meeting.