On the Waterfront – October 2017
Marine Institute Receives Funding for Eelgrass Restoration
Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard recently announced that the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador will receive $4.7 million over five years for a project to help restore eelgrass ecosystems in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland.
The Marine Institute is the first group in Newfoundland and Labrador to receive project funding through the fund.
The ...
Government Document is an Insult to Fishing Industry
I have read many Government of Canada documents.
Some of them caused me to roll my eyes, some of them caused chuckles, some were examples of great work and there has been one document that was the most insulting thing I have ever read.
That insulting document is the reason I write this letter.
The Canadian Government is about to designate a part of the ocean as an MPA (marine protected area). Before they do so, they are asking for input from the general public and the document they are ...
Gerry Byrne Named New N.L. Fisheries Minister
The sudden resignation of Finance Minister Cathy Bennett Monday forced Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, to change up his cabinet.
Joining Cabinet are Tom Osborne, MHA for Waterford Valley, who has been appointed as Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, Minister Responsible for the Human Resources Secretariat, Minister Responsible for the Public Service Commission, Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Minister Responsible ...
Heavy Ice Causing Delays in N.L. Fisheries
FFAW Calling for Compensation and Extended Employment Insurance
Pack ice is no stranger to Newfoundland and Labrador’s Northeast coast.
However, a long, cold winter, combined with hurricane-force Northeasterly winds, have really made a mess of the spring crab and lobster fisheries. Many ports are choked with heavier-than-normal ice this spring, blocking many fishing vessels from even leaving the dock, let alone reaching the grounds.
Fish, Food and Allied Worker (FFAW) Union President ...
On the Waterfront – April 2017
Ottawa Creates $325-Million Atlantic Fisheries Fund
The federal government has announced an investment of $325 million to create an Atlantic Fisheries Fund aimed at benefiting the fishery in all four Atlantic Provinces.
The Fund is aimed at stimulating innovation, with a focus on growing opportunities and increasing their value to meet market demands for sustainably sourced, high quality fish and seafood products.
Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada said, in ...
Ottawa Creates $325-Million Atlantic Fisheries Fund
The federal government has announced an investment of $325 million to create an Atlantic Fisheries Fund, that is aimed at benefiting the fishery in all four Atlantic Provinces.
The Fund is aimed at stimulating innovation, with a focus on growing opportunities and increasing their value to meet market demands for sustainably sourced, high quality fish and seafood products.
Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada said, in this sector, which is integral to the region...
Significant Change to Temporary Foreign Worker Legislation
Above photo: Egmont MP Bobby Morrissey poses with a group of temporary foreign workers following a meeting in which they told him about many of the challenges they face.
Worker Advocates and Fishing Industry on P.E.I. Applaud End of Four-in, Four-out Restriction
In 2013, a group of Filipino women working on Prince Edward Island as part of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program wrote a letter to then Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander.
The women were rapidly ...
Owner-Operator Policy Legal Challenge Withdrawn
A legal challenge to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans owner-operator policy could have set a legal precedent that would threaten the future of the independent inshore fishery, some in the industry believed.
The owner-operator policy was enacted to ensure that ownership of inshore fishing vessels remained in the hands of inshore fishermen, not corporate entities.
The case, which was scheduled to be heard Feb. 28, involved Kirby Elson, a Labrador snow crab fisherman and the federal ...
Auditing Vital Fish Stocks to Ensure They Will Be There
As the auditor general of Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, I have the privilege and responsibility of overseeing audits that examine some of Canada’s most fragile and valuable resources.
The audits inform Parliamentarians and Canadians about how government departments and Crown corporations manage these resources.
Recently, a team of environmental auditors from the office of the auditor general of Canada focused on one of Canada’s oldest and most ...
New NL Fish Harvesters’ Union Being Proposed
Two public meetings are scheduled for next week to gage interest in a new union that would represent Newfoundland and Labrador fish harvesters, breaking away from the long-standing Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW).
The charge is being lead by former Member of Parliament Ryan Cleary and well-known fishermen Richard Gillett of Twillingate and Jason Sullivan of Bay Bulls.
The organizers kicked off the initiative at a press conference this morning in Petty Harbour, with about 20-30 ...
