PIIFCAF and Politics
As the famous Scottish poet Robbie Burns once penned, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
2020 might go down as one of the strangest years ever, but 2021 is already trying it’s best to give last year a run for its money.
By now, a new Newfoundland and Labrador provincial government should have been settled into the Confederation Building in St. John’s and be busy at work on such key tasks as addressing a massive debt, compiling the 2021 budget, picking out office ...
The Twine Loft – April 2021
Passed On: Eugene Francis – Yarmouth, N.S. fisherman
Francis, 48, formerly of Milton, Queens County, was lost at sea on December 15, 2020, when the vessel he was on, the Chief William Saulis, sank off DeLap’s Cove, Digby County. His body has not been recovered. Born in Milton, he was the son of Michael and Karen (Mooers) Francis of Milton. He fished scallops and lobster over the years for Acadia Band in Yarmouth. At the time of his death, he was employed with Yarmouth Sea Products, Bayview ...
Henry Vokey: Man of a Thousand Boats
Henry Vokey was truly a legend in his own time.
He was a quiet, unassuming and humble family man who grew up in the small fishing village of Little Harbour, Trinity Bay — certainly not the kind of person we usually think about in a line that includes the word “legend.”
A master boatbuilder, Henry was known as the man of a thousand boats.
Like many Newfoundland and Labrador men, Henry developed a keen interest in the art of wooden boatbuilding when he was a boy. From a family of ...
On the Waterfront – April 2021
Crew Safe After Sinking of OCI Scallop Vessel
All 31 crew members of the Atlantic Destiny, Ocean Choice’s offshore trawler that issued a mayday on March 2 reporting a fire onboard, were safely transferred from the vessel before it later sank on March 3.
The fire onboard the vessel was extinguished and all 31 crew members were reported safe and accounted for. A total of 28 crew members were safely taken via helicopter to Yarmouth where they received medical attention, food and accomm...
Put the Fishery on the Political Agenda
There hasn’t been much talk during the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial election about expanding jobs in the fishery.
Including such topics as limiting the concentration of enterprises and quotas in corporate or individual fishers’ hands, while making it so difficult for aspiring entrants to take over an existing enterprise, thus adding nail after nail to the coffin of fishing villages.
As far as I know, in Prince Edward Island, there is no equivalent of the Professional Fish ...
Final Fisheries Regulation Amendments: Three Key Issues Addressed
The long-awaited amendments to federal fisheries regulations codifying key aspects of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) PIIFCAF policies, including prohibitions on “controlling agreements,” are finally final.
Anticipated since the June 2019 Fisheries Act refresh, the final amendments to the regulations come with some surprises, often differing significantly from the proposed draft amendments the DFO initially released in July 2019. The amended regulations prohibit the transfer ...
Coalition Asks Federal Liberals and Conservatives for Action on Fishery
On January 13, 2021 the Coalition of Atlantic Canadian and Quebec Fishing Organizations made a special presentation directly to the Atlantic Canada Federal Liberal Caucus.
Two weeks later, on February 2, 2021, the Coalition virtually met with the Conservative Atlantic Caucus and Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole.
The purpose of the presentation was to help educate Liberal MPs on the seriousness of the situation on the fishery and to share solutions for a path forward for a sustainable ...
Are Lobsters Tougher Than We Thought?
As everyone is well aware, the lobster industry, both here and south of the border, is a business worth in the billions of dollars each year.
And once an industry attains such a lofty value, its stakeholders are always on the lookout for not only other possible positive opportunities, but factors that could lead to the detriment of such an important economic driver and resource.
One such factor for the lobster industry that seems to hold the duality of causing both excitement and anxiety ...
The U.S. Seafood Market Firing on All Cylinders Could Raise Global Market Share
All of us have been amazed at the strength exhibited by frozen food and in particular frozen seafood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rather than the collapse of foodservice leading to less consumption, American consumers used money they saved by not eating out to increase their share of higher end retail seafood purchases.
This was dramatically evident in the retail demand for crab and lobster and it has been reflected in pricing.
But another interesting thing is happening in the ...
Latest N.L. Snow Crab Assessment Showing Positive Signs
Some industry observers often refer to fishermen as eternal optimists.
While others might debate that label, there was certainly quite a bit of optimism being expressed over the winter by Newfoundland snow crab fishermen regarding the upcoming 2021 season, particularly in NAFO fishing areas 3L and 3Ps. And for now, it appears that optimism might have been justified.
For the fourth year in a row, scientists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) presented a somewhat bright, yet ...
