FFAW holding demonstration in Corner Brook on Thursday
FFAW-Unifor is holding a demonstration 1 p.m. tomorrow outside of the DFO Building in Corner Brook. The demonstration is to call attention to federal mismanagement of fisheries – in particular the recent decision by Minister Diane Lebouthillier to allocate nearly 60 per cent of the newly commercialized Unit 1 Redfish fishery to a handful of corporate offshore draggers, instead of the 100 or so inshore, owner-operator vessels that rely on it.
According to a press release from FFAW, “Minister Lebouthillier has failed in her capacity as Minister to make decisions based on her mandate and the federal Fisheries Act. Specifically, management decisions should prioritize social, economic, and cultural factors as well as the preservation and promotion of the independence of independent license holders.” it reads. “None of which was evident in the Minister’s decision.
“Moreover, Minister Lebouthillier’s decision to prioritize the offshore dragger fleet is contrary to historical documentation from the Department themselves, which removed the dragger fleet from the Gulf in 1976 due to conservation concerns. By prioritizing the offshore dragger fleet, the Minister is also compromising the conservation integrity of the species that has been under moratorium from 1995 until this year. On the other hand, the inshore owner-operator fleet has undertaken extensive scientific work over the past several years to study gear modifications to significantly reduce by-catch and thereby ensure a very sustainable community-based fishery.”
NTV’s Don Bradshaw will be there and have a full report Thursday on the NTV Evening Newshour.