Initial Hunter, Ball Meeting Positive in Tone; But Little Detail Released
The first visit by the new federal Fisheries Minister appeared to be congenial, but was very scant on actual details.
Hunter Tootoo was in St. John’s January 11 for his first meeting with Newfoundland and Labrador officials, including Premier Dwight Ball, Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Steve Crocker and Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development.
The ongoing spat between Confederation Hill and Parliament Hill is long and bitter. For years, ...
Canada’s Largest Commercial Marine Event Begins This Friday at the Moncton Coliseum
Fish Canada Workboat Canada, the nation’s largest commercial marine show, returns to the Moncton Coliseum this Friday and Saturday, January 22-23, 2016. This year marks the 17th edition of this biennial event, which is attended by those who make their living on, in, and around the water, along with those who provide the related products and services to keep Atlantic Canada’s marine-based industries running strong.
“We’ve got an exciting event lined up,” said Show Manager Shawn ...
Did Minister Seek a Food Fishery Commitment from Federal Minister Tootoo?
Kevin Parsons, Fisheries Critic for the Official Opposition, is asking if the Ball Government received a commitment this week from federal Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo to end the dangerous and discriminatory practice of limiting the Newfoundland and Labrador recreational food fishery to just a few days when bad weather can put people in jeopardy.
The Liberals promised in their 2015 policy platform to advocate strongly on the province’s behalf for an expanded recreational food fishery...
Northwest Atlantic Ocean May Get Warmer, Sooner
A new study by NOAA researchers suggests future warming of ocean waters off the Northeastern U.S. may be greater and occur at an even faster rate than previously projected.
Their findings, based on output from four global climate models of varying ocean and atmospheric resolution, indicate that ocean temperature in the U.S. Northeast Shelf is projected to warm twice as fast as previously projected and almost three times faster than the global average. The models were developed at NOAA’s ...
PEIFA Raising Concerns Over Fish Plant Staffing
The Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA) announced today it has significant concerns regarding insufficient staffing levels at processing plants in Prince Edward Island and Atlantic Canada.
The past two years have seen a rebounding of prices paid to the harvesters. These price increases have been related to increased demand related to a combination of expanding export markets and increased promotion of value added products. Supplying these new markets is at risk if suffic...
Minister Tootoo Participates in Meetings with N.L. Government
Federal Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Minister Hunter Tootoo was in St. John’s Monday visiting Premier Dwight Ball and his provincial counterpart Steve Crocker.
At a press conference, both Ball and Tootoo indicated they spoke about a number of issues, including fisheries joint management, LIFO, halibut quotas, expanded cod fishery, shrimp quotas and the controversial CETA agreement. But neither politician would get into much detail about their meetings.
Also participa...
Large Waves Forecast for Island Portion of N.L.
Fire and Emergency Services-Newfoundland and Labrador (FES-NL) encourages residents to be cautious around coastlines and waterways over the coming days as there is potential for elevated water levels due to large waves and swells associated with an intense low pressure system near Greenland.
The public is advised that a rapid increase in wave heights and pounding surf are expected tonight and Friday along east-facing coastlines, extending from the Bay of Exploits to the Southern Shore of the ...
Competitiveness: Part II
About two years ago, I wrote a column on competitiveness.
This month, I will tackle that subject again but from a different perspective. The topic seems particularly appropriate as we consider what to do with our rebounding northern cod resource, because there is intense competition in markets for cod and similar mild-tasting white-fleshed fish species and we will have to compete for a share of those markets against others already supplying them.
Competitiveness is not a well-understood ...
CFIFH President Outlines Challenges of Future Fisheries
The President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Fish Harvesters began his presentation to the recent FFAW’s (Fish, Food and Allied Workers union) constitutional convention in St. John’s with a question.
Christian Brun asked the union leaders in attendance what they felt was the single-most important threat that will impact the future of the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador?
He offered some possible answers, such as cod eating shrimp, declines in snow crab and lobster ...
Living Up to Election Promises: N.L.’s Federal Cabinet Minister Outlines Fisheries Commitments Kept and Those Yet to Come
Newfoundland and Labrador’s newly minted representative in the federal cabinet was in St. John’s last month to address a captive audience at the FFAW’s (Fish, Food and Allied Workers union) constitutional convention.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote said the new Justin Trudeau-lead government has wasted no time in living up to some of the fisheries-related commitments made during the campaign — with the first being the reinstatement of the Coast Guard marine rescue ...
