Province introduces changes to boost competition in N.L. fish processing
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The Fish, Food and Allied Workers-Unifor union is welcoming a major provincial step toward restoring competition and fairness in Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish processing sector. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Loyola O’Driscoll has confirmed the changes.
Breaking down barriers to new processing licences
New fish processing licence applications will now be received and reviewed directly by the Department, with recommendations going to the minister under the Fish Inspection Act. The change ends the long-standing practice of routing applications through the Fish Processing Licensing Board, removing a key barrier that has limited new entrants and competition in the processing industry.
The updated process will also allow conditional fish processing licences where there is a commitment to buy or construct a processing facility, opening the door for new investors and regional investment in rural communities.
Closing loopholes and limiting processor control
Government has also clarified that licensed processors will no longer be eligible to hold an outside buyer licence for any species except sea urchin, effective April 1, 2026. An outside buyer licence allows a company to purchase fish directly from harvesters. Companies applying for an outside buyer licence will also be ineligible if any shareholder or director is also a shareholder or director of a licensed processing company. The change stops large processors from using open market rules meant to support competition and harvester access as a way to extend control over fish purchasing in the province.
More work and stability for plant workers
“We know that news around increasing capacity is concerning for plant workers, but this news will truly provide better stability for all fisheries workers, including those who make their living in processing plants,” says FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street.
Combined with the province’s earlier commitment to stop processing companies from shipping crab out of the province unprocessed, the union says there is plenty of work ahead for all processing workers.
“In 2005, quota levels were under 50,000 tonnes but the number of plant workers exceeded 13,000. Now in 2025 we had a nearly 63,000 tonne quota but the number of plant workers has been cut by more than half. That corporate concentration and the mass closure of plants around the province have hurt our industry and it is high time policy was changed to start to fix the problem,” Street says.
Taking on corporate concentration in the fishery
The moves respond directly to years of calls from fish harvesters to break the concentration of power among existing processors and support a truly competitive marketplace.
“Our union has been clear for a long time. The owner-operator fishery cannot survive if a handful of companies control when we fish, where we sell, and what we’re paid,” says Street. “By moving to open up processing licences and clear away roadblocks, Premier Tony Wakeham and Minister Loyola O’Driscoll are showing they are prepared to act in the public interest and stand up to the stranglehold ASP holds over our coastal communities.”
“Premier Wakeham and Minister O’Driscoll promised harvesters they would move quickly to create more competition in processing, and these changes show they have followed through. We appreciate their leadership and look forward to continuing to work together to protect the owner-operator fishery, support our plant workers, and build a fishery that works for the people and communities of Newfoundland and Labrador, not just for a handful of corporations,” Street concludes.