Dialogue, Cooperation and Trust
“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth.
As the Babe so succinctly pointed out, there can be little or no success without cooperation. This not-so-startling revelation can of course be applied to any industry, including the fishery.
Another pearl of wisdom on cooperation comes from a man many might consider the Babe Ruth ...
The Twine Loft – October 2020
Passed On: Todd McLean – Green Island Cove, N.L. fisherman
McLean, 49, passed away suddenly at sea on July 28.
Passed On: Samuel Hurley – Ship Cove, N.L. fisherman
Hurley, 94, passed away on August 25 at Roddickton House in Roddickton, N.L. He was born on March 14, 1926 but due to error his birth was listed as 1927, He was the only son born to James and Rebecca Hurley of Westport along with his sister Sarah. He moved to Ship Cove as a very young boy with his family and lost his ...
On the Waterfront – October 2020
OCI Eyeing Substantial N.L. Development
Ocean Choice International (OCI) is in the early stages of a proposed development in Conception Bay South (Long Pond), N.L. that could see the initial development of new land, a 90-metre wharf as well as the possible construction of a new cold storage facility.
OCI has said it is still finalizing the business plan for this project and that it has not made a final decision to proceed.
“We understand the importance of the area to residents, ...
Repeating Myself 30 Years Later
Looking back, it’s ironic the two big stories in the news the week of January 10, 2020 were the death of the Hon. John Crosbie, who was Fisheries Minister at the time of the moratorium in 1992 and now 28 years later we are told the cod stocks in the Gulf are in danger of extinction.
What have we learned in 28 years?
I think we all know the answer to that one, but for some reason the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the managers of our oceans do not seem to get it.
In the late ...
A Levelling of Our Competitive Advantage?
Above photo: Lonnie Snow photo
September 21, 2017 was an important date for the fishing industry in this region.
Three years ago, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) came into effect. This meant that after years of negotiations, trade barriers were reduced for virtually every seafood sector and Canadian companies would have access to the EU’s $22-trillion market of 500 million potential new customers, access to government contracts and ...
Despite Pandemic, Land-Based Aquaculture Looks Like the Chicken Revolution
While the market has reacted sharply to the changes in food distribution patterns due to the coronavirus pandemic, aquaculture investment has moved right along.
We are witnessing a disconnect between investment behavior and the real economy based on the surge of liquidity provided by the federal reserve and other governments. Despite grim employment numbers, investors are awash in low interest, zero interest or negative interest money provided by central banks to try and keep the various ...
Reflections on More Than 40 Years in the Industry
This will be my last column in The Navigator.
I am retiring from the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) at the end of September.
In one way or another, I have been involved in the capture fishery for over 40 years. For my final column, I will reflect on events in the industry during that time.
Opportunity
As I consider what has happened over the past 40 plus years, the first word that springs to mind is opportunity. Although that may surprise some people, the fact is we ...
Unprecedented First Year for Federal Fisheries Minister
It will soon be one year since Nova Scotia MP Bernadette Jordan was sworn in as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“We’ve accomplished a lot in the past year,” said Minister Jordan in an interview with The Navigator. “From making sure harvesters are looked after during a difficult time to over 200 fisheries management decisions, launching new funds like the Ghost Gear Fund and the Canadian Fish and Seafood Stabilization Fund. It has been extremely busy.”
...
Cautious Optimism Surrounds Opening of LFA 35 Fishery
There’s some optimism among licence holders as the first of the fall commercial lobster seasons in western Nova Scotia gets ready to open.
October 14 is dumping day in lobster fishing area (LFA) 35 in the Bay of Fundy.
“The old guys used to say if you didn’t catch them in the spring, you’ll catch them in the fall” and considering the spring season was “historically awful, I think there’s a lot of optimism among the licence holders in LFA 35 because the last few days of the ...
Squid Fishery Making a Comeback in N.L.
The squid jigging grounds are providing a valuable fishery once again in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a landed value that has increased 10-fold from 2017 to 2019.
“It’s really a fishery that’s hard to predict. We’ve gone years and years with no landings whatsoever and in the last three years have had substantial landings, each year being better than the last,” said Robert Keenan, project manager with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW).
According to statistics ...
