A Fisherman’s Daughter’s Perspective
I am a fisherman’s daughter who is very aware of the beauty and the dangers of the ocean.
Fishing isn’t for everyone — it is a physical, dangerous, high risk profession in which generations of fishers have gone out on the water and, all too often, not come home.
The fishery is one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s many highly dependent resource sectors employing thousands of people directly and indirectly. This year, the obstacles facing this sector are beyond what any industry ...
Welcome to the New Normal
“People often ask when the world will return to its normal days. Don’t wait for normal days. Assume that abnormal days are normal days. Today’s abnormal normal is now our new normal.”
Mehmet Murat Ildan (Turkish playwright and author)
Last month’s Navigator Magazine was the always-popular, annual safety issue. It always highlights and puts the importance of safety in the fishery out front, where it should always be.
As every harvester knows, fishing is a dangerous ...
The Twine Loft – June 2020
Passed On: Charles Pearcey – St. John’s, N.L. fisherman
Pearcey, 82, passed away on April 18. Born on April 26, 1937 in St. John’s, he was the eldest son of the late James and Ethel Pearcey of the Outer Battery. He was well known for his passion of family history of St. John’s and the Outer Battery. He was often found at the family twine store welcoming one and all. The door was always open. He received such distinction as a Provincial Historic Traditional Bearer and appeared on ...
On the Waterfront – June 2020
ISA Outbreak at Northern Harvest Smolt Facility
Northern Harvest Smolt Limited (NHSL) recently announced that the suspect detection of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) at its hatchery located in Stephenville, N.L. has been confirmed.
Follow-up sampling at the facility identified eight fish as positive for pathogenic ISA and six fish as positive for non-pathogenic ISA.
In response to this confirmation and in keeping with best practice, NHSL is culling all 450,000 juvenile Atlantic salmon ...
Should There be a Fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador This Year?
The fishery is part of the food chain, the very essence of life.
We have a lot of people in this world who are starving to death and any interruptions in the food chain will only make things worse. Food gets scarce, prices skyrocket and the poor people will be the ones to suffer.
There is a lot of fear in this province and you hear it every day on radio and TV, all in an effort to get people to stay home.
Approximately 90 per cent of food in Newfoundland and Labrador comes from outside ...
Supporting the Essential Service Employees Who are Supporting the World
Above: Lonnie Snow photo
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire world has entered an unprecedented situation.
It is difficult to recall a time in living memory where so much of the world has been at a standstill and yet some industries — and some people — find themselves busier than ever, shouldering the weight of our emergency response as they keep essential services functioning.
The Canadian fish and seafood sector is one of these essential services.
Harvesters, processors ...
Work Together or Hang Separately, it is That Simple
Above: Lonnie Snow photo
Two qualities that give the seafood industry its unique character are being made up of a multitude of diverse companies of all sizes and having an immense diversity of species and products.
In the U.S. meat industry, four companies control 84 per cent of beef production, 65 per cent of pork production, 53 per cent of poultry and one dairy co-op and one processor control 30 per cent and 40 per cent respectively of the national milk supply.
Our compan...
Matching Demand and Supply
Recent events related to the COVID-19 lockdown have brought into very clear focus the economic laws of supply and demand that usually operate more in the background.
Essentially, these laws state that, in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular item will vary, until the quantity demanded is equal to the quantity supplied.
If market demand is higher than supply, the price will rise, to attract new supply. But if supply exceeds demand, the price will drop, until some suppliers ...
Sea of Uncertainty as P.E.I. Lobster Fishery Opens
Lobster fishermen on Prince Edward Island were facing a sea of uncertainty as they readied to start their spring season.
With the opening delayed until May 15 for lobster fishing areas (LFAs) 23, 24 and 26 due to a multitude of issues and concerns that have washed ashore for the seafood industry due to COVID-19, it’s “a big picture of variables” going into the season, said Ian MacPherson executive director of the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA).
The two-week delay in the ...
Spring Landings Down in SW Nova Lobster Fishery
The spring lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia “hasn’t been much” says Bernie Berry, president of the Coldwater Lobster Association.
Never mind the multitude of issues and concerns that COVID-19 has caused, foul weather and cold water temperatures have also impacted fishing efforts and landings this spring, said Berry.
“I suspect for March and April catch-wise, you might have to go back 20 to 25 years to see that few lobsters landed, for a whole myriad of reasons,” said ...
