FFAW Announces Nomination Process for Secretary-Treasurer
Navigator file photo.
The FFAW-Unifor Election Committee recently announced the nomination and election process for the vacant position of Secretary-Treasurer.
Nominations for candidates will be open from September 11 to September 26, 2025. Members in good standing may submit nomination forms and sworn affidavits to the Election Committee by 4 p.m. on September 26, 2025.
Nomination forms and election rules are available on the FFAW website or by contacting the union office.
The opening came after Jason Spingle announced he would be stepping down from his role as Secretary-Treasurer, effective immediately. Spingle has decided to resign in order to spend more time with his family and pursue other endeavours.
Prior to becoming Secretary Treasurer in 2022, Spingle served as a Member Representative for 4R, 2J and 3Pn for over 20 years.
“The Executive Board is immensely grateful for Jason’s many contributions to our union over the last two decades and wish him nothing but the best in his future,” said FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street.
Feds Fund Improvements to Arctic Search and Rescue
The federal Department of Emergency Management and Community Resilience recently announced $1,361,900 in funding to St. Francis Xavier University for its three-year project entitled Closing the Gaps: Addressing Critical Challenges in Arctic Ground Search and Rescue.
Public Safety Canada will fund the initiative through the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF), which annually provides funding for projects that will improve Canada’s search and rescue system.
Ground search and rescue (GSAR) operations on the land, ice and inland waters of the Arctic are often difficult and complex given the region’s vast size and cold climate. The difficulties are compounded by systemic challenges faced by SAR responders.
With this new funding, St. Francis Xavier University, along with other researchers from Dalhousie and Memorial Universities, will work with government and community search and rescue responders from Nunavut and the Nunavik region to improve ground search and rescue prevention, preparedness and response by addressing some of the core challenges identified through previous research.
Public Safety Canada manages the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF) in partnership with other federal, provincial and territorial SAR organizations, who together determine its annual priorities.
SAR NIF is designed to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, economy and innovation of SAR activities in Canada, and provides $7.6M annually in funding for projects that are selected through an objective merit-based process.
N.L. Recreational Fishery Season Extension
As wildfires significantly limited many people’s ability to take part in the Newfoundland and Labrador recreational groundfish fishery, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced that the 2025 recreational groundfish fishery season will be extended to include two additional weekends.
The additional dates include:
- Saturday, September 6, 2025 to Monday, September 8, 2025
- Saturday, September 13, 2025 to Monday, September 15, 2025
All other rules and regulations for the fishery remain the same. Details on the management measures for the 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador recreational groundfish fishery can be found online at the following website: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/decisions/fm-2025-gp/index-atl-eng.html
The public is encouraged to follow safe boating practices and be aware of the local weather and sea conditions before leaving port. The Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide offers valuable tips on how to safely load your boat — https://tc.canada.ca/sites/default/files/2024-03/tp_511e.pdf\
The Department will launch a public consultation process this fall on the recreational groundfish fishery.
N.S. Lifts Moratorium on Seafood Buying, Processing Licences
On May 13, 2025, the Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture communicated to all licence holders that the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (the Department) has completed its review of the fish buyers and processors licensing policy and that the moratoria on issuing new licences and adding species to existing licences including groundfish species would be lifted.
Here are the key details that were communicated:
- Starting August 1, 2025, applications will be accepted for new licences and species additions for all species, except lobster buying and snow crab buying and processing.
- Starting January 2, 2026, applications will be accepted for new licences and species additions for lobster buying and snow crab buying and processing.
- No reissuances of existing licences, except for immediate family members.
- All applicants will need to submit a professional business plan with their application.
As of August 1, 2025, existing fish buyer/processor licences for everything but lobster buying and snow crab buying and processing can no longer be reissued.
For someone to get a new licence, they must apply for one through the province via the new application process. As part of the application process, a business plan must be submitted, and it must address all desired species. Reissuance applications for lobster buying and snow crab buying and processing will continue to be accepted until January 1, 2026.
Union Lobbies to Remove MPA Candidate
The FFAW-Unifor is calling on Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson to immediately remove the Virgin Rocks from consideration as a candidate Marine Protected Area (MPA) under Canada’s 2030 conservation targets.
The federal government is considering multiple candidate areas, including one near Virgin Rocks in 3L.
Virgin Rocks has been one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most productive fishing grounds for generations, supporting vital cod, flounder, crab, whelk and the developing sea cucumber fisheries. “Closing this area would devastate our coastal communities and destroy critical access for harvesters.”
“While FFAW supports marine conservation, there are other proposed sites that can achieve conservation goals without crippling the fishing industry. We’ve formally called on Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson to remove Virgin Rocks from consideration and to work with harvesters — not against them — to protect both our oceans and the livelihoods that depend on them,” the union said in a news release.
Champlain Acquires BA Richard Lobster Processing Facility
Champlain Seafood is proud to announce the acquisition of BA Richard, a well-established lobster processor based in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, New Brunswick.
With roots tracing back to the late 1800s, BA Richard has been a cornerstone of the local seafood industry, operated by four generations of the Richard family. Over the past 30 years, the company has maintained a strong strategic partnership with Cape Bald Packers.
N.L. Calling for Extension of EI Benefits Impacted by Wildfires
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is calling on the Government of Canada to extend Employment Insurance (EI) benefits and increase flexibility for workers displaced by the unprecedented wildfire situation in the province.
The call for assistance comes in addition to the immediate and continuing support the Provincial Government has been providing in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
The request was made by Gerry Byrne, Minister of Jobs, Immigration and Growth, to Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, in correspondence on August 14, 2025. In that letter, Minister Byrne acknowledges the vital support already provided by the Federal Government, including Canadian Armed Forces and Coast Guard aircraft and personnel.
The extension of benefits and increased flexibility requested has been made available in the past to workers in other parts of Canada impacted by wildfires.
Evacuations have displaced many individuals and families, and disrupted access to workplaces, resulting in financial hardship and uncertainty. In response, the Provincial Government has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army to deliver immediate supports and is leveraging all available resources.
To further assist impacted workers, the Provincial Government is requesting:
- EI Flexibilities: Expedited processing of EI claims for individuals experiencing employment interruptions due to wildfires.
- Extension of EI Pilot Project: Extend the pilot project established for Alberta and Manitoba in 2024 in response to wildfires in those provinces, which provided a one-time credit of 300 insurable hours, to Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Reinstatement of Work Permit Transition Measures: Reinstate the 2024 special measure that allowed employer-specific work permit holders to transition to open work permits if their place of employment had closed due to wildfires.
Operation North Pacific Guard Wraps Up Four-Nation Patrol
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a serious problem around the world, posing a significant threat to fish populations and damaging marine environments, according to the federal government.
IUU fishing also jeopardizes the incomes of law-abiding harvesters and fishing industries and puts food supplies at risk for millions of people.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) continues to do its part to detect and deter IUU fishing, having recently completed this year’s Operation North Pacific Guard (Op. NPG) mission.
This was DFO’s third patrol under the annual, multi-national high seas operation in the North Pacific, and the first to have representatives from four nations onboard a single patrol vessel. The Canadian patrol included representatives from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States. The mission was supported by personnel from the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Fishery officers and support personnel patrolled 17,773 km while onboard the Canadian Coast Guard vessel, the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a high endurance, multi-purpose vessel that is also a light icebreaker and is biofuel capable. Over the course of two months, the expert crew monitored several hundred fishing vessels, conducted 41 high-seas inspections and interacted with more than 1,000 crew members onboard vessels.
The high-seas inspections resulted in the detection of 39 potential violations of international fisheries requirements, including shark finning, the illegal harvest of dolphins, misreporting or inaccurate reporting of catch and bycatch, as well as obstruction and the destruction of evidence.
Canada also deployed one of DFO’s long-range Fisheries Aerial Surveillance and Enforcement aircraft, which is normally based in Campbell River, British Columbia, to Hokkaido, Japan where daily patrols monitored fishing activity the Northwest Pacific. A total of 366 fishing vessels were inspected by air and 51 potential violations related to shark finning, pollution, salmon retention and marking requirements were detected.
During this year’s mission, the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier made a special port visit in Osaka, Japan, while the World Expo was underway. Thousands of members of the public learned about Canada’s role in fighting IUU fishing through tours of the vessel and engagement with Canadian Coast Guard crew and fishery officers at the Expo’s Canada Pavilion.
The CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier also made a port visit in Hakodate, Japan, providing an unique opportunity to strengthen relations between the Canadian and Japanese Coast Guards.
Union Raises Mackerel Concerns
The abundance, distribution, size and condition of mackerel seen around Newfoundland and Labrador for the last two months is incredible, with this season marking the fourth year of a moratorium on Atlantic mackerel, the FFAW recently stated.
The union continues to raise the alarm on the issue, meeting with Minister Joanne Thompson recently in Garnish and calling for a commercial fishery this fall.
In an announcement in May, Minister Thompson announced a continuation of the closure of the Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery for 2025 and 2026. A bait fishery of 440t has been in place for the last two years.
“We are encouraged by Minister Joanne Thompson’s commitment to understand and address the stark disconnect between DFO Science and what fish harvesters all over the province have reported over the last several years,” said FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street. “The loss of our commercial mackerel fishery when so much abundance is being witnessed each and every day around the province is certainly a tough pill to swallow,” said Street.
“We know that mackerel are spawning on the northeast coast. We are seeing a tremendous abundance of large mackerel, 16–18 inches in length, as well as small, or pencil mackerel. While harvesters are on or near the water every day and are seeing the changes, the department currently does not even have a mackerel scientist based in Newfoundland and Labrador,” Street explained. “Batches of mackerel are not just being reported in a single bay, instead large batches, miles long, are being reported around the island day after day.”
Atlantic mackerel is a transboundary stock, meaning that Canada shares responsibility with the U.S. for the stock. This year, the U.S. set a 3,200t quota, while Canada set a 500t Total Allowable Catch. Since DFO closed the Atlantic mackerel fishery in 2022, the U.S. has continued to set quotas, totaling 15,000t from 2022 to 2025. Over that same period, the total amount of quota set by Canada has been around 1,000t.
FFAW-Unifor is calling on Minister Thompson to set a commercial quota for this fall.
Clearwater Sells Macduff Processing Operations to Seafood Ecosse
Clearwater Seafoods has sold the land-based processing operations of Macduff Shellfish to Scotland’s Seafood Ecosse, returning the operations to Scottish ownership.
Under a new strategic alliance, Clearwater will continue to operate the scallop fishing vessels that supply Macduff.
The new strategic alliance will see Clearwater operate the scallop fishing vessels that exclusively supply the Macduff operations. Macduff is one of the largest wild-caught shellfish processors in Europe.
Macduff Shellfish said the move between the two firms will “enhance the value of Scottish seafood” and improve service to Macduff’s global customer base.
Seafood Ecosse is an experienced processor in the country, while Clearwater Seafoods boasts fleet operational expertise. Both parties agreed that the sale will leverage the strengths of each company.
Ian Smith, Clearwater CEO said, “The sale of the Macduff land-based operations and a strategic alliance with Seafood Ecosse will strengthen the Macduff Shellfish business. This transaction will also strengthen our balance sheet and provide increased flexibility within our core operations.”
David Leiper, Seafood Ecosse Managing Director, said, “We are pleased to welcome Macduff Shellfish into the Seafood Ecosse Group. This strategic acquisition will help strengthen our service offering for our customers, suppliers and stakeholders. Entering a new alliance with Clearwater’s U.K. fishing fleet ensures continuity of key supply for the Macduff land-based operations and provides a strong platform on which we hope to further expand our business across international markets.”
