Important Lessons From the Past
As you may or may not be aware, the United Nations has named 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022).
IYAFA 2022 is aimed at highlighting how small-scale artisanal fishers, fish farmers and fish workers contribute to human well-being, healthy agri-food systems and poverty eradication through the responsible and sustainable use of fisheries and aquaculture resources.
A recent Food and Agriculture Organization WorldFish study indicated that the ...
Fishery Squabble has Industry Players Seeing Red
Dispute Growing Over Allocation of Unit 1 Redfish
It was inevitable that the interest in the growing redfish stock in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and portions of the Cabot Strait would continue to increase.
It was also inevitable that competing groups for the potentially lucrative fishery would start drawing proverbial lines in the sand.
Over the last few years, many facets of the Atlantic Canadian fishing industry have been quietly whispering and speculating on the growing redfish popula...
Lobster Prices: An Early Christmas Gift?
As many folks are now well into cobbling together their Christmas lists, harvesters in this region have only one thing on their collective minds — hitting the water.
Yes, Santa does not need to be involved to make this the most exciting time of the year in lobster fishing areas (LFA) 33–34 in southwest Nova Scotia. And if early price predictions hold true, and of course, the weather cooperates, lobster fishermen might be on the precipice of a very, very good season.
This time last ...
AG Releases Scathing Report on N.L.’s Newest Ferries
Above photo: MV Legionnaire. David Greening Photo
In their first few years of service, the newest additions to Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial ferry fleet quickly went from being dream boats to duds.
The MV Veteran and MV Legionnaire have been the punchline to more than one joke since they came into service more than five years ago. But more than that, they have been a constant source of frustration for the citizens that depend upon them each day. For example, ...
Fisheries Policy Facing a Period of Political Purgatory
The dust has now settled and after five weeks of verbal barbs and $600 million later, the electorate has spoken and honestly, not much has changed.
After a hard fought and noticeably nasty federal election, the political landscape looks pretty much the same as it did in August.
However, ousted Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan might not agree with the previous statement. The now former Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margaret’s was soundly defeated by Conservative Rick ...
To Cull or Not to Cull
The 17th century English author and philosopher William Penn once said, “in all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory, or an unjust interest.”
It is safe to say that when Penn penned these words more than three centuries ago, he had no idea how applicable they would be in describing the decades-old Canadian seal population debate.
Are the millions of hungry harp and grey seals frolicking in the waves of our shores having a negative impact on fish stocks — notably cod? That is ...
Are Right Whales Impacting Consumer Lobster Purchases?
As a few innovative Nova Scotia companies forge ahead with efforts to develop new ropeless fishing technologies, the presence of right whales continues to be a concern for area lobster fishermen and the industry in general.
While the majority of Atlantic right whale sightings in Canadian waters and subsequent fishing closures have taken place to the north in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, lobster fishermen are still worried about an upsurge in the lobbying effort to further protect the endangered ...
N.L. Sea Cucumber Fishery Hindered by Water Reduction Dispute
Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters are locking horns with processors over this year’s sea cucumber fishery.
The point of contention involves processors’ sampling, handling and grading protocols for the 2021 season, particularly involving the reduction for water contained within the harvested sea cucumbers.
The union representing harvesters, FFAW-Unifor, is claiming that harvesters used to deduct 23 per cent of the sea cucumber’s weight across the board to account for the water, ...
Harvesting Plan Announced for 2021 Northern Cod Fishery
With many in the fishing industry hoping to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them and get back to some sense of normality, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released the 2021 conservation harvesting plan (CHP) 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery.
Fishermen will not see much difference from last year’s plan. In fact, overall, the 2021 fishery is nearly a carbon copy of the 2020 season.
While the overall catch limit for the 2021 Northern cod (NAFO Divisions 2J3KL) stewardship fishery ...
The European Green Crab: Eradication Might Not be the Answer
Last summer, a story in the Navigator outlined the ongoing efforts to control the spread of the invasive and destructive European green crab in this region.
According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), green crabs were first found in Canadian waters in 1951 in southwest New Brunswick and have since expanded to many other locations in Atlantic Canada. They entered Nova Scotia waters in 1953/1954 and reached just south of Halifax in 1966. By 1982–1983, green crabs were present ...
