Plant workers, fishermen take over provincial fisheries office

From the Telegram/Transcontinental Media

Fish plant workers and fishermen from across the province took over the offices of the provincial Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture in St. John’s.

According to the Fish, Food and Allied Workers’ (FFAW) union, the move is aimed at driving home a message that government intervention is needed if coastal communities are to survive a disastrous 2009 fishing season.

The plant workers travelled from St. Anthony, Port au Choix, Jackson's Arm, Fogo Island and Port Union, and have joined with fishermen from the west, northeast and south coasts.

FFAW representatives, and representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers union from Black Duck Cove and Anchor Point, were involved in the occupation of the offices on Strawberry Marsh Road. “This industry needs an investment, not a hand-out, to get through this season and to be able to compete on the world stage in the future,” said FFAW Secretary-Treasurer David Decker.

The FFAW says that with more than 80 per cent of the province's seafood being exported to places like the United States, the European Union and Japan, it is crucial that harvesters in this province are able to compete with other global players. “Places like Spain, Portugal, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Scotland, England, France and others have collectively pumped billions into their respective fishing industries in recent years to address things like improving marketing, rationalization, and various forms of industry financial support” Decker said. “In Newfoundland and Labrador, however, we have very little in the way of any kind of marketing effort, and the rationalization process has been paid for lock, stock and barrel by the industry resulting in tremendous debt for harvesters. This debt-load has been a poison pill that will destroy the industry if it is not addressed.”