Man Overboard: 55 Deaths in 15 years
Just the other day, the winds were gusting in excess of 120 kilometres/hour — but people in this region did not seem to even notice — just going about their daily business like nothing was happening.
Atlantic Canadians, if nothing else, are never phased by a “little wind.” It is just another example of the often harsh realities of living in this neck of the woods. And no other industry is forced to deal with these climatological extremes more than the fishery.
Everyone involved ...
Fish Harvester Training in High Demand
The demand for fish harvester training is high and the Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland is working hard to meet the need across Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.
Encouraging young professionals to take an interest in the industry has been challenging in recent years. However, MI continues to provide potential fish harvesters with a variety of options for training to prepare them for careers in this rewarding sector.
Increasing Enrollment
This ...
N.L. Northern Shrimp Quota Takes Another Big Hit
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has announced a 63 per cent cut to the inshore Northern shrimp quota in fishing area 6 — meaning the total allowable catch for SFA 6 went from 48,196 tonnes in 2015 to 27,825 tonnes in 2016, to 10,400 tonnes announced for 2017.
This amounts to a 78 per cent quota reduction over two years.
These dramatic cuts to the harvest rate are not in line with the reduction in the Northern shrimp biomass, claims the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union ...
Canada Will Ship Lobsters and Scallops to Europe Duty Free as Early as May 1
The Canadian free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), called CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), has been in the works for years, but its first real fisheries effects are about to be felt on both sides of the border.
As early as May 1, the treaty will come into force. The final step is the final ratification by the Canadian Parliament which is likely to occur very soon. Most observers think May 1 is the most likely date.
As is usual in most trade agreements, many ...
On the Waterfront – May 2017
Seafood Producers Laud Canada Free Trade Deal
The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) says a new free trade deal covering internal trade in goods and services in Canada is an historical achievement, on this, the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
“Today’s agreement is an historical agreement, and goes together with the legacies of FTA, NAFTA, CETA and other free deals signed by our federal government with countries around the world,” said Derek Butler, Executive Director of ...
Twine Loft – May 2017
Passed On: Lawrence Sullivan – Calvert, N.L. Fisherman
Sullivan, 59, died suddenly in his hometown of Calvert on April 5, 2017. He was a well-known, fisherman, captain and enterprise owner on Newfoundland’s Southern Shore.
Passed On: Albert Hollett – Arnold’s Cove, N.L. Fisherman
Hollett, 86, passed peacefully away at Dr. G B Cross Memorial Hospital, Clarenville on April 2, 2017. He was a fisherman all his life and fished out of several ports in Placentia Bay.
Passed On: ...
While Trump Cuts Funding to Science, Ottawa Adds Positions in Atlantic Canada
I have to note the difference between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to science.
President Trump will cut major programs such as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA — the agency which is predicting an eight-foot plus rise in ocean levels by 2017), while at the same time our federal government has announced $325-million to be shared among the four Atlantic Provinces for fisheries growth.
Included in the package, an informant ...
Building a Better Future – Part II
Last month we told you about a remarkable fisherman from Cheticamp, Nova Scotia. Leonard LeBlanc has worked tirelessly to make the fishing industry as progressive as possible. Leonard has retired from the fishing boat now but his work with various associations continues. Improving safety in the fishing industry has been a large part of Leonard’s raison d'être for a long time. An accident that claimed the life of his young son had a lot to do with that role.
This is Part II of Building a ...
Emergency Ready
“Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”
This poignant line from the Gordon Lightfoot song Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, sums up the reason that Canadian Coast Guard and Search and Rescue personnel go to work every day.
On the east coast of Canada, from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, to the rugged coast of Labrador, to the tidal waters of the Bay of Fundy and throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence, these men and women have provided ...
Gangways: Simple Safety
The topic of gangways causes me to reflect over the past 30 years, and for that matter all my life, of all the time I have spent on and around wharves and boats and how often I have risked my life trying to get aboard a vessel. Everyone involved in the marine industry can relate to this topic and can visualize what I am talking about.
Boarding a vessel is always a risk, particularly smaller vessels in the 35’ to 65’ category. The boat is rarely perfectly positioned to enable easy access ...
