Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Clyde Jackman on Friday released a much-anticipated report on the future of the province’s fishing and seafood industries, including a proposed plan to restructure the fishing industry.
“Report of the Independent Chair: Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Steering Committee” found that the province’s fishing industry is undergoing a transition in both the harvesting and processing sectors. Since 1998, the number of fishermen in the province has dropped 35 percent, the number of processing plant workers fell 43 percent and the number of primary processing plant workers slipped 36 percent.
The proopsed plan calls for an up to 80 percent reduction in inshore fishing fleets, an up to 50 percent reduction in nearshore fishing fleets and a 30 percent reduction in crab and shrimp plants. The total cost of the plan is approximately CAD 450 million.
“Our government is committed to the pursuit of a viable and sustainable fishing industry in coastal areas of the province, and we understand the vital contribution it makes to rural Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Jackman.
The report was prepared by Tom Clift, a Memorial University professor, who has served as the independent chair since the steering committee’s inception in August 2009. The provincial government signed the MOU at the request of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers and Association of Seafood Producers in July 2009.
