The Newfoundland and Labrador price-setting panel has selected the Fish, Food, and Allied Workers Union’s (FFAW) proposed price formula for the 2025 snow crab season.
The price-setting panel sets a minimum price for snow crab in the fishery each year and typically decides between proposals made by the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents processors, and the FFAW. This year, the panel went with the union’s proposal, meaning snow crab harvesters will start out getting a minimum of CAD 4.97 (USD 3.57, EUR 3.15) per pound for snow crab to start the season.
“The formula set today is historically significant; today’s panel decision is finally putting a system in place that gives harvesters a sense of fairness and transparency,” FFAW President Dwan Street said. “Our negotiating committee’s offer was fair, reasonable, and very well thought out. It establishes a starting price that carries through the season, followed by a settlement at the end of the season based on market performance.”
The new pricing structure creates a settlement price for crab harvesters based on the actual sales prices of 5- to 8-ounce sections. In 2024, the FFAW achieved a similar structure from the start of the fishery through three weeks after the fishery ended, and the new agreement expands on that and will see harvesters receiving sales receipts until 1 November. It also sees that harvesters will be paid directly by the company.
“This decision positions us well for years to come,” Street said. “We’ve made significant strides in ensuring a stable and fair fishery, but there are still battles to be fought. This is a big step forward for harvesters across the province, and we’re committed to continuing this momentum in all our future price negotiations.”
The price-setting process has ...
