Everyone involved in some capacity with the Atlantic Canada fishery knows that the industry has ebbs and flows each year.
As a particular fishing season looms on the horizon, chatter, speculation and arguments always seem to surface, almost like clockwork. Just look at what recently happened with snow crab in Newfoundland. And the Northern shrimp fishery has certainly not been immune to these disputes in the past.
But this year, things have been strangely quiet in the lead up to the 2020 shrimp fishery. Surveys, released over the winter by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), had precited there would be quota cuts this year for inshore harvesters. This was proved accurate when DFO recently announced the total allowable catch in the all-important shrimp fishing area (SFA) 6, off the northeast coast of Newfoundland will be reduced by 7.5 per cent to 8,290 tonnes to maintain a 10 per cent exploitation rate.
All was eerily quiet on the shrimp front so far this year until a May 25 press release from Gaspe, Quebec arrived at media outlets around Atlantic Canada with the headline “Shrimp: Thousands of jobs in danger!”
Something like that will get your attention.
The impassioned plea originated from a somewhat surprising coalition from three different provinces, including three fishermen’s associations and six First Nations communities.
The newly-formed Gulf Shrimp Coalition was asking for an emergency response package from the federal government in order to save the 2020 Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp fishing season it claims is in danger.
The coalition members include the Micmac Nations of Listiguj, Gesgapegiag and Gespeg — Quebec, the Maliseet of Viger First Nation — Quebec, Pêcheries Uapan — Quebec, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) — Newfoundland and Labrador, Fédération régionale acadienne des pêcheurs professionnels — New-Brunswick, Association des Capitaines Propriétaires de la Gaspésie — Quebec and the Association des crevettiers acadiens du Golfe — New Brunswick.
Despite the $469.4-million aid federal package for harvesters announced on May 14, the coalition members say it will not help save the 2020 Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp fishing season.
“Unfortunately, the current program won’t help the majority of enterprises in our fleet,” said Rendell Genge, chair of the 4R fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As a result, the coalition is lobbing the federal government for the following additional support measures:
- Waive the cost of fishing permits for the 2020 season.
- Modify all support programs that have been announced to make them accessible to First Nations.
- Extend the applicability of the 75 per cent salary subsidy program (maintaining the current $10,000 as a minimum) to cover the entire shrimp fishing season.
- Modify the accessibility criteria of the employment insurance program to ensure that fishing workers are not left without income due to the delay in the starting of the season or as a result of a shorter fishing season.
- Provide compensation to First Nations communities for the loss of revenues in fishing operations caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Increase the maximum amount of the support program for enterprises from $40,000 to $120,000 and increase the non-refundable portion of the loan.
The coalition members explained that they have joined forces out of necessity and survival.
In announcing its formation, the coalition said “on April 9, DFO held its first teleconference with Gulf shrimp harvesters, processors, indigenous nations and representants from the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Quebec to discuss the challenges facing the industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four subsequent teleconferences have since taken place, seeing the projected challenges manifest into a crisis with no prospects for a fishery to reasonably take place this year due to existing inventories and limited markets. In response to this crisis, industry stakeholders have formed the Gulf Shrimp Coalition to collaboratively respond to the situation facing the industry.”
And the group says unless additional help comes from Ottawa, their future is bleak.
“We are in an unprecedented situation and the dire prospects for harvesters, plant workers and our communities require that we work together. Our very survival depends on it,” stated Jean Lanteigne, of the Fédération régionale acadienne des pêcheurs professionnels (FRAPP).
The coalition claims that processors have cited large volumes of inventory and virtually no movement in the market. As a result, most buyers, including those in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, have made it clear they may be unable to buy any shrimp this year, while buyers in Quebec have offered a price much lower than what has been offered last year.
According to Claudio Bernatchez, director general at l’Association des Capitaines Propriétaires de la Gaspésie (ACPG), “the stakes are great in the many communities spread around the Gulf of St. Lawrence where more than 2,000 direct jobs rely on the shrimp industry. We all want a fishing season and this group representing three provinces has solutions to propose to the government.”
Despite the recently announced federal government aid package for fish harvesters, members of the Gulf Shrimp Coalition say that without clear details for eligibility and the fact that the Gulf shrimp fishery has yet to begin, many enterprises will be unable to avail of the programs. They add that harvesters cannot risk the expenses involved in going fishing if it means they will be bankrupt at the end of the season.
“It costs us much more than what the processors offer just to break even,” stated Pierre Jenniss, chief counsellor in charge of commercial fisheries for the Maliseets of Viger First Nation.
“We cannot go out and come back in with a catch of shrimp that still leaves us in the red after all our expenses are covered. Nobody will be able to do that.”
Simply put, the coalition says that DFO does not understand the magnitude of the crisis it is facing and is requesting an urgent meeting with DFO Minister Bernadette Jordan to discuss.
Since federal funds have already been allotted, it is hard to say of the pleas of the Gulf Shrimp Coalition will be acted on by Ottawa.
The cornerstone of the current $469.4-million aid federal package is the Fish Harvester Benefit, a program worth up to $267.6 million, to help provide income support for this year’s fishing seasons to eligible self-employed fish harvesters and sharepersons’ crew who cannot access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.
Support will also be provided to those that experience fishing income declines of greater than 25 per cent in the 2020 tax year, compared with a reference period to be identified. This measure covers 75 per cent of fishing income losses beyond a 25 per cent income decline threshold, up to a maximum individual entitlement equivalent to what is provided under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy ($847 per week for up to 12 weeks).
Another aspect of the aid package is the Fish Harvester Grant, a program worth up to $201.8 million, to provide grants to help fish harvesters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and who are ineligible for the Canada Emergency Business Account or equivalent measures. The program would provide non-repayable support of up to $10,000 to self-employed fish harvesters with a valid fishing licence. Size of the non-repayable support will vary depending on the level of fish harvesters’ historic revenue.
However, the government announcement, for now, skirted around one of the key demands by inshore fish harvester advocates. Fisheries groups lobbied for extended employment insurance (EI) benefits for a 12-month period for all fisheries workers, independent harvesters, crews and plant workers.
Will more help be forthcoming to this group of Gulf shrimp fishermen? Only time will tell, but like they indicated, the clock is ticking on their season.
