In only a matter of weeks, the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador will once again be going to the polls — this time to elect a new provincial government.
As in every election, there are always a few key issues that rise to the surface, encompassing other relevant concerns that some voters might have. This time around, expect N.L. politicians to be sparring over such issues as access to primary healthcare, affordable housing, impact of tariffs on local businesses and the Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding with Québec.
With all of these contentious topics bubbling on the surface, combined with a summer marred by destructive wildfires, some issues are bound to be taking a backseat and might not even see the light of day. Once such subject might be joint management of the fishery.
According to the 2003 White Paper: Joint Management of Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries, joint management is a “regime that would effectively integrate federal and provincial responsibilities, reduce federal-provincial conflict over fisheries policy, provide a stable framework for resource management and industry investment, and remove the potential for arbitrary or inconsistent fisheries management decisions.”
Photo submitted by CNLOPB.
This particular study, one of many examinations of this topic down through the years, was commissioned by then N.L. Premier Roger Grimes.
It concluded that “clearly, unilateral federal management has not worked in the best interest of this province or the adjacent fish stocks. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is of the strong view that recovery of resources and sustainable fisheries will not be achieved under the existing management approach or structure. Lack of transparency and openness in the current system creates undue pressure and conflict among those involved in the industry, too often resulting in decisions and actions that compromise rather than promote conservation. Nowhere has the impact been greater than in Newfoundland and Labrador. Changes must occur, so that the people of this province and this country can be assured that future decisions will be made with their best interests in mind.”
That was in 2003. Many prior and subsequent N.L. governments have taken a swing at joint management with the federal government.
The most recent lobbying effort took place last summer when former Premier Andrew Furey broached the subject when he expressed his opinion that the federal government’s decision to lift the moratorium in Northern cod was a “terrible decision for the people of the province.”
“Right now, what’s happening with this allocation is it’s pitting fishermen against fishermen. While there is an absolute increase in the quota, there is some reduction in quota for particular fishermen, and distribution of that quota is pitting fishermen against fishermen,” said Furey. “You could have, pending the science, managed to achieve everything they were trying to achieve without lifting the moratorium.”
In the wake of DFO’s cod allocation decision, Furey penned an open letter to then Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier calling for joint management of Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishery, giving the province a “direct say” over the province’s resources.
Furey went on to argue that much has changed since 2003, from technology, to population distribution, to processing capacity within the province.
“I think setting a table where there’s joint management will allow for better inputs and better decision making. What that actually looks like; time will tell, but it’s important to start the conversation,” said Furey.
Well, as had been the case in the many previous conversations surrounding joint management, the topic quietly faded back into the weeds and no progress was made on this jurisdictional subject.
This brings us to 2025, and with the pending election campaign comes another opportunity for current and upstart politicos to toss the issue out to the mainstream populace once again. But with everything else going on, will it get any traction this time around? The sitting federal Minister of Fisheries is from N.L. Do the feds have any appetite right now to wade into this potential legislative hornet’s nest at this time? Probably not.
If you analyze DFO’s 2025–26 Departmental plan, nothing remotely similar to joint management appears in Joanne Thompson’s ministerial playbook.
Key points include Coast Guard fleet renewal, growing a prosperous and sustainable blue economy, marine conservation targets, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and investing in science.
There is one line in the DFO plan that could possibly include joint management — “Managing Canada’s fisheries in ways that are economically prosperous, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. Supporting our thriving fish and seafood sector is a path to greater prosperity for Canadians and our country and will contribute to improved food security both here at home and abroad.”
Could that decree of political speak be interpreted as Ottawa and the provinces sitting down to map out a plan to better share the management and responsibility of the commercial fishery? Perhaps.
But it is a safe bet that political parties will be focusing on the core areas they feel will garner them votes, and joint management might not be the hot ticket item they need right now.
In a 2024 interview with The Navigator related to Furey tabling the joint management yet again, Roger Grimes said that the summer of 2024 was a politically advantageous time to advocate for this decades-long cause. But he noted that if the Furey government failed to achieve joint management, the issue will only come back again under a successive government.
“If it doesn’t get done this time, somebody in Newfoundland and Labrador will be asking for it again in 10 or 12 or 15 years’ time,” he added. “Mark it on your calendar.”
