On June 10 Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea announced that the federal government will make a $65 million investment to help the Atlantic Canada lobster industry.
“Our government stands on the side of affected fishers and families whose livelihoods depend on the lobster industry,” Shea said when announcing the aid package.
The fishermen don’t think so.
On June 17, Newfoundland fishermen occupied Fisheries and Oceans offices at Port au Choix, St. Anthony and Corner Brook “to protest the lack of government action being taken to help harvesters get through what has been a devastating 2009 fishing season thus far,” according to David Decker, Secretary-Treasurer of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW).
“I don’t know how much more clear we can be about this – the provincial and federal governments absolutely have a role to play in helping our industry, which are so crucial to rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, get through these tough times,” Decker said. “This year has been disastrous for harvesters in a variety of fisheries across the province and this industry and the people in it will not survive if we don’t get the help that is desperately needed from our provincial and federal governments.”
Decker continued, “We actually have some people out there that haven’t had a single cent of income since April. If nothing else, we believe that the federal and provincial government has a moral responsibility to step in here and ensure that rural Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t lost, because that is the reality we are facing.”
Shea’s announcement represented a 180-degree turn from her position on May 15 when she said that any direct financial aid to the lobster fishermen would violate the terms of Canada’s trade agreement with the United States. At that time, Shea added that the industry needed to be revamped to include more efforts in publicity and marketing of Atlantic lobster.
Both statements came in response to low lobster prices creating what Earle McCurdy, President of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) in Newfoundland and Labrador, called “a total disaster.”
Shea’s June 10 announcement said in part, “The circumstances affecting the lobster industry are unique and lobster fishers had nothing to do with the collapse in lobster prices. All they want is the chance to continue making an honest living doing the job they love. These short term measures will allow us to work with the industry to ensure a sustainable, self-reliant and flexible lobster sector for years to come.”
Shea added that $15 million will be provided for short-term transitional contributions that “will assist qualified low-income harvesters severely harmed by the collapse in market demand for their products due to the global recession.”
Shea continued, “Available only during this particularly difficult year, eligible lobster-dependent fishers will be compensated for a portion of their lost income caused by reduced landings.”
Under the terms of the allocation Ottawa will also invest $50 million in “Atlantic Lobster Sustainability Measures to support those in the industry who develop and implement long-term sustainability plans. This includes a $15 million allocation specifically for those who work in low-income areas and have experienced significant losses due to chronically low lobster landings.”
On June 9 a group of lobster fishermen staged a sit-in at the Newfoundland and Labrador office of regional federal minister Peter MacKay, demanding that the federal government take action to address what has been a disastrous 2009 lobster season. Less than 24-hours later Shea announced the $65 million package.
On June 18, Jason Spingle, FFAW Staff Representative for Newfoundland’s West Coast, said of the June 17 one-day office takeovers, “We’re continuing our peaceful campaign to protest the inadequate funding provided by the government. It may seem like a lot of money but when you spread it over five years, over five provinces, it’s not. And remember, only $15 million will go directly to fishermen.”
Christian Brun, Executive Secretary of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU), representing New Brunswick and Nova Scotia fishermen, also described the DFO funding as “not adequate to solve our problems.”
On June 18, he said, “We fully support the actions of the fishermen in Newfoundland. We’re in constant contact with them, and we’re monitoring the situation closely. Our mandate is to see what the government’s response is to our questions. If we don’t get the right answers then there’s a real possibility that we will follow suit to the actions in Newfoundland.”
Brun’s statement was pretty much echoed on Prince Edward Island. While Ed Frenette, executive director of the Prince Edward Island Fishermen’s Association (PEIFA) described the funding as “a start,” he added, “Few if any details have been determined. Is it enough? Never.”
“It isn’t just the lobster fishery feeling the pinch this year. While negotiations are continuing, at this point the shrimp industry remains mostly shutdown, leaving harvesters and 1,500-plus plant workers out of work. There are also growing concerns with respect to product pricing and resource in other fisheries,” said FFAW’s Decker.
For his part, FFAW field staff worker Spingle said, “We’re trying to be fair, to be patient. We’ll give them [DFO] a week. If we’re ignored or if no changes come back or they’re inadequate, then we’ll take action again. People are getting desperate.”