Ensuring the Safety of Endangered Whales
On Tuesday, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced additional temporary grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These closures are part of ongoing efforts to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whales (NARW) when they are present in Canadian waters.
The DFO implements these grid closures when a whale is spotted or acoustically detected in an area. Harvesters are then required to remove any fishing gear within those grids. This precautionary measure aims to minimize the risk of entanglement, which is a significant threat to these endangered whales.
Impact on Fisheries
When a temporary grid closure is put in place, fisheries such as snow crab and lobster are prohibited from operating in those grids for 15 days. If a NARW is detected again during days 9 to 15 of the closure, the grid will remain closed for the rest of the season. If no whale is detected, the grid will reopen after day 15.
Fortunately for Gulf of St. Lawrence snow crab harvesters, nearly 95% of their quota has already been landed. This year, Area 12 in the Gulf had a revised quota of 22,082.695 metric tonnes, of which 20,935.3 tonnes (94.8%) had been landed as of May 21. Harvesters have only 1,147.395 tonnes left to catch.
Quota Status Across Regions
In other regions, harvesters are also making significant progress. In the Maritimes Region, CFA 20-22 has landed 92.83% of its 937.635 metric tonnes quota as of May 22, leaving 67.195 metric tonnes remaining. However, CFA 23-24E has only caught 43.30% of its 7,345.080 metric tonnes quota, with 4,164.722 tonnes still to be harvested.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, 42% of the 57,145 metric tonnes quota has been caught, leaving 33,043 metric tonnes remaining this season.
Labor Disputes in Newfoundland and Labrador
The Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab season wouldn’t be complete without some drama. This year, a pricing standoff between harvesters and processors lasted a week before an agreement was reached. Now, plant workers are threatening a strike over wages.
The Fish, Food & Allied Workers (FFAW) Union is pushing for higher wages for plant workers, who currently earn between $16 and $18 per hour and have been without a deal since December. With the rising cost of living, the workers are demanding better pay.
“Companies have record profits, while employees work backbreaking, hard labor every fishing season, often six days a week for 10-12 hours per day,” said FFAW President Greg Pretty. “This is not easy work, and if companies want to retain this important workforce, they need to pay them a living wage.”
Potential Strike Actions
The ongoing labor disputes affect several processing plants, including Beothic Fish Processors in New-Wes-Valley, Ocean Choice International in Bonavista and Triton, and Barry Group in Witless Bay. FFAW has indicated that the 375 processing employees at Beothic will be in a legal position to take a strike vote this Sunday if a deal is not reached. Similarly, employees at the other plants could be in a position to strike by the end of the month.
Despite these challenges, crab is already being processed, and closures for select areas are set to begin as early as June 30.
Conclusion
The temporary grid closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence highlight the delicate balance between protecting endangered species and sustaining fisheries. While harvesters are on track with their quotas, labor disputes add another layer of complexity to this year’s snow crab season. The coming weeks will be crucial for both conservation efforts and labor negotiations.
The original articles pre-edited are available at SeafoodNews.com.
