The Fish Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) is blaming Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans for a shortened cod season in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
just months after the federal government celebrated the reopening of the Northern cod fishery following a 32-year moratorium.
The DFO and Canadian Minister of Fisheries Diane Lebouthillier announced the reopening of the fishery in June, with a quota of 18,000 metric tons (MT). But that decision received pushback from the fishing union, which protested the inclusion of 1,080 MT of quota for the offshore fleet despite a longstanding agreement that inshore harvesters would receive the first 115,000 MT of a reopened cod fishery.
Now the cod season in Newfoundland is being cut short after just one month as fishermen draw close to catching the quota limit. FFAW is placing the blame on the DFO for the economic consequences of that decision.
“Federal MPs and ministers like Diane Lebouthillier, Gudie Hutchings, and Seamus O’Regan are all responsible for the mass, premature layoff during what should be a booming season for our province,” FFAW President Greg Pretty. “Instead of maintaining a stewardship fishery and increasing the stewardship quota for the benefit of Canadian communities, the feds left the Newfoundland quota essentially unchanged in favor of giving offshore draggers access. Now the people of our province are without work when they should be on the water or in the plants.”
Pretty said the reopening of the Northern cod fishery was done under poor faith by Lebouthillier and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with both going “against the advice of science, environment and industry."
Lebouthillier ignored scientific advice from her own department when reopening the commercial cod fishery, CBC reported. The DFO recommended maintaining the moratorium based on scientific evidence, but political advisors within the department said it would be “politically a victory” to reopen the fishery, according to documents from a federal court proceeding regarding the decision.
DFO staff offered multiple potential options to Lebouthillier, with the 18,000 MT total allowable catch being the highest quota, which also presented the highest risk to the stock. Despite the risk, the six Liberal party ministers of parliament from the province supported that option, and even suggested considering an even higher quota of 20,000 MT.
FFAW sharply criticized the Liberal MPs who supported reopening the fishery.
“What we’ve seen thus far is a Liberal caucus of NL politicians who supported breaking the 40-plus year agreement to our province – and while it’s certainly not shocking at this point, it should be a real eye-opener to the people of our province who elected these individuals to office,” Pretty said.
FFAW accused elected officials responsible for the decision of corporatizing public resources and threatening the economic sustainability of coastal communities.
“The court documents show six MPs in lockstep betrayal of harvesters, plant workers, and every fishing community in our province,” Pretty said. “A cowardly show of contempt for workers will that be long remembered.”
