On the Waterfront – April 2023
SEA-NL Elects New President
Pamela Patten, a Fortune-based enterprise owner, has been elected to replace Jason Sullivan as President of Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) — an organization that represents owner-operators in N.L.
Patten, who has been an enterprise owner for 11 years and a harvester for 22, is believed to be the first female to lead a fisheries organization in the province’s history. She was elected to lead the organization during ...
The Twine Loft – April 2023
Passed On: Earl MacKinnon — Inverness, N.S. fisherman
MacKinnon, 48, passed away on February 5, in Inverness. He was born in Inverness on March 15, 1974. After spending many years pipelining in Alberta, he returned home to work as a fisherman. MacKinnon was a dependable helper who loved being on the ocean working alongside his brothers Junior and Walker.
Passed On: Leonard Henry — Saint John, N.B. boatbuilder
Henry, 70, passed away on February 14, in Saint John. He was born on ...
Combatting Seafood Processing Worker Shortages
The seafood industry in Atlantic Canada has an ongoing problem and it has nothing to do with quotas or fish prices.
The issue of course is lack of workers and unfortunately for processors around the region, this problem is showing no signs of getting better. And if you listen to some stakeholders, it is only going to continue to get worse before it gets better. So, how do you start to make it better?
A few years ago, The Navigator highlighted a 2019 study by Food Processing Skills Canada ...
ECFE Returns to Yarmouth, N.S. After Four-Year Hiatus
Above: The 2023 Atlantic Canada Marine Industries Hall of Fame inductees for Nova Scotia were Terry Zinck, Bruce Atkinson and Penny Graham. Terry Zinck’s award was accepted by his son Brock (L).
The 35th edition of the Eastern Canadian Fisheries Exposition (ECFE), presented by The Navigator Magazine, the TriNav Group of Companies and Master Promotions, wrapped up over the weekend of January 20–21 in Yarmouth, N.S., welcoming 4,274 people from all walks of the commer...
Legislation Jeopardizing Future of Fishing Enterprises
Recently, I was out for a little beachside ride on my quad near the once busy fishing community of Black Duck Cove, on Twillingate Island, when I noticed a Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) sign washed ashore on the beach.
The sign read “structure in disrepair — keep off.”
As I picked it up, I thought, not only a literal statement of the decrepit wharf which it had obviously been attached to, but a sad metaphor for the future of so many of our fishing villages.
So, I ...
On the Waterfront – March 2023
ASP Names New Executive Director
The Association of Seafood Producers recently named Jeff Loder as its new executive director.
“Jeff’s experience as a senior executive and negotiator provincially, nationally and internationally will be an outstanding asset to our membership and ASP team,” said Paul Grant, Board Chair, Association of Seafood Producers.
“His extensive background in negotiations and his passion for advocating on behalf of the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery will ...
The Twine Loft – March 2023
Passed On: Bernard Halloran — St. John’s, N.L. businessman and sealing advocate
Halloran, 67, passed away at home on January 13. He was born on December 20, 1955, in Sydney, N.S. He and his wife, Cindy, moved to St. John’s in 1983 to run what would become a family business, Always in Vogue — a proprietor of sealskin products. He was a steadfast advocate for the Newfoundland and Labrador sealing industry, regularly acting as the voice of opposition to both local and international ...
On the Waterfront – February 2023
Greg Pretty Elected as New FFAW President
Long-time staffer of the Fisheries, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor), Greg Pretty, was elected president by the union’s executive council in a 43-11 vote after the recent departure of previous president, Keith Sullivan.
The presidential race was between Pretty and west coast fisherman Dave Callahan. Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) president Jason Sullivan’s bid for leadership was earlier ...
The Twine Loft – February 2023
Passed On: Gerard Lewis — Liverpool, N.S. fisherman
Lewis, 66, passed away on November 29 in Bridgewater, N.S. He was born in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Among a variety of other jobs, he spent time as a lobster fisherman.
Passed On: Patricia Tarr — Western Head, N.S. fish plant worker
Tarr, 68, passed away at her home in Western Head on December 9. She was born in Liverpool, N.S. She spent part of her life working for Bluewave Fisheries and Mersey Seafoods.
Passed On: ...
Lobster Season Begins in SW Nova
With the lobster season off and running in Southwestern Nova Scotia, regulators want harvesters to be aware of the risks involved.
Vessels will be loaded with traps and gear, increasing the risk of an accident, especially in inclement weather.
“Boarding boats in the cold and dark, at the mercy of the weather and the sea, makes fishing dangerous work. Safety is a crucial priority,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Steve Craig.
“One tragedy is one too many, so we urge ...
