Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union

Um, you mentioned the consultation, of course, on the food fishery, the incredible response to surveys that were put out, the public consultation.

Those who are lobbying now for a lobster food fishery point to that and say, "If you can do that for the cod, why can't we do it for a lobster fishery? Have a full on consultation, a good review of it." Uh, some are offended by the fact that you told the FFAW in a letter that, you know, it's just not going to happen.

Um, and the issue of recreational, they don't like the word recreational.

I'm curious to know your thoughts on that, whether it should be just a food fishery or a residential food fishery to take away the insinuation that it's a sport fishery.

Me and my brother, we had a one pot each.

We gave, the FFAW gave it to us, and we, uh, put them out.

We tried it in four or five different places here around Arm, here in places, and we got one.

The following year, there was, they came out with a, a project, I guess, for one year, and the place was full.

Now while Peter Cowen was in Dunville, he also spoke with Brenda Viscount.

She's one of the people who collects green crab from fish harvesters and then delivers them to a facility in North Harbor where they're destroyed.

Uh, I'm a field technician with the science department at FFAW, during this, you know, during this green crab project.

And, uh, been on this project now eight years or a little over.

...

Yes, and that's including the FFAW.

Brian, like, we are pitted against each other by the government, and I'm listening to your calls.

People are worried about heating themselves for the winter.

They all admit that it's, you know, it's gonna continue to go out of hand.

I just, uh, you know, uh ...

B- but getting back to the topic, I, I know you took some offense to the fact that the minister did give the FFAW an assurance that there would be n- you know, no, that it's, that it just won't be considered any kind of...

And she used the word recreational.

Um, he saw the letter.

There was a letter issued by the minister to the FFAW, um, you know, just basically saying that it's just not gonna happen, the recreational food fishery.

And, uh, I can see why some people might be a little bit upset by that.

It's already been predetermined when there are potential for, you know, there's a petition and there's a potential for consultation about it.

They don't like to call it recreation because it just makes it sound too much like a sport and they're just out having a time as opposed to finding some sustenance to get by in these tough times, cost of living, groceries and everything else.

Uh, so they're looking for that and the Green Party does have a petition before the House of Commons, but the FFAW, uh, sorry, the, um, Kyle McCaughey and the, uh, people behind the petition not too happy that the minister seems to have already made a decision before it even gets to the floor of the House, uh, or any discussion or consultation because in the letter to FFAW just says it's not happening.

A recreational fishery will not be considered.

Blank.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, um, anyway, uh- They're, uh, very happy [clears throat] to see that last week the FFAW had a forum, the first one, though it will be a series of them, on that very topic, of trying to recruit and, and convince and persuade and instill [clears throat] in younger people the value of a career in the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery.

Uh, and not just for the sake of pursuing a career, but it's a, it's, it can be a well-paying career.

Thank you so much.

Dawn Street is the president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union, and she was in St. John's.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cbc.ca/podcasts.

Well, in a conference room overlooking St. John's Harbor, people gathered today at the rooms to talk about the challenges and rewards of getting into the fishing industry.

This is the launch of the FFAW's New Harvesters Network.

We're gonna meet some of those new harvesters, but first, some opening remarks.

Looking around this room, I see some of the future of our Newfoundland and Labrador fishery.

I mean, whether it's, uh, I, I heard in the, the meeting I was just in, like automotive dealerships, uh, Ski-Doo dealerships, like everybody sees the impact of h- h- the fishery.

And if it's doing good, everyone's doing good.

And you have to be a member of the FFAW, like does it give you the support that you need?

Yeah, I would say.