Chalk One Up for the Underdogs
Who says you can’t take on the federal government and win?
Lobster fishermen in nearby Maine have proven that it is still possible to take on regulators and come out on top — even if it involves something as contentious and controversial as North Atlantic right whales.
Fishermen in this region are no strangers to ever-increasing regulations surrounding endangered right whales. Over the last few years, snow crab and lobster harvesters have endured numerous fishing closures due to the ...
Securing a Path Back
Best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima once wrote “I’ve found it wise to enjoy any time of truce, while recognizing it for what it is. A truce.”
In late May, an unprecedented six-week snow crab fishing dispute finally came to an end and Newfoundland and Labrador fishermen are once again on the water, doing what they do best.
For the majority of the spring, the FFAW-Unifor and Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) were locked in a battle of wills and attrition over the price of ...
Volatility Would be an Understatement
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines irony as “the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.”
On February 16 of this year, just two days after Valentine’s Day, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) held a surprising, joint press conference to announce their mutual cooperation for the upcoming 2023 snow crab season.
Newly-minted FFAW President Greg Pretty and Secretary-T...
Never Underestimate the Importance of Stability
American theologian and author William G.T. Shedd once wrote “A ship is safe in harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.”
The May issue of The Navigator is always devoted to highlighting the inherent dangers faced by fishermen today, as well as practices and technology aimed at making it safer.
As has been the practice for the last few years, The Navigator’s editorial has opened with the names of fishermen that have been lost at sea. This year, due to the release of the recent ...
Critical Seafood Exports Showing Signs of Life
Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canadian seafood, especially lobster, is not just enjoyed by consumers around North America, but around the globe.
However, as you are aware, live lobsters don’t crawl to these foreign markets themselves. Part of the challenge for processors and buyers, notably for a live product such as lobster, is timely and efficient air cargo transportation.
Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, air shipments of live lobster from this region were on the ...
Combatting Seafood Processing Worker Shortages
The seafood industry in Atlantic Canada has an ongoing problem and it has nothing to do with quotas or fish prices.
The issue of course is lack of workers and unfortunately for processors around the region, this problem is showing no signs of getting better. And if you listen to some stakeholders, it is only going to continue to get worse before it gets better. So, how do you start to make it better?
A few years ago, The Navigator highlighted a 2019 study by Food Processing Skills Canada ...
Knowledge Itself is Power
To the surprise of few, the current season in lobster fishing areas 33–34 is turning out to be a difficult one.
Everyone involved with what is one of the world’s largest lobster fisheries knew the chips were stacked against them this year. Some have even called it a perfect storm of decreased landings, markets and prices, combined with early foul and inclement weather.
From lower shore prices, to international market uncertainty, to the back-breaking jump in inflation — these ...
IUU Fishing: Far From a Foreign Problem
With everything going in the fishery throughout Atlantic Canada, oftentimes, it is hard to take a step back and look at the global fishing picture — after all, don’t we have enough to worry about here?
However, once and while, it is a worthwhile practice to pause for a second and compare our various fisheries here with others being prosecuted around the world. While we always have our issues, for the most part, our commercial fisheries are well run, with conservation and the future top ...
Is the Retail Seafood Market About to Bounce Back?
Long before it kicked off, everyone participating in the lobster fishing area (LFA) 33–34 fishery knew 2022–23 was going to be a challenging season.
Lower shore prices, market uncertainty and record prices for bait and diesel are among some of the adversities facing harvesters this year.
Buyers and processors in Nova Scotia are also being extra cautious due to slower than normal international markets at this stage of the season. At the same time, fishermen have their calculators out ...
From Rhetoric to Real Issues
A little over a year ago, The Navigator took a deep dive into the mandate letter of newly appointed Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Canadian Coast Guard Joyce Murray.
A mandate letter sets the table for the work and legislation each federal minister is expected to prioritize by their boss, the Prime Minister.
After a quick peruse of Minister Murray’s mandate letter, three key points dominated the Prime Minster’s marching orders: climate, the environment and Indigenous ...
