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MEDIA RELEASE: FFAW Snow Crab Negotiating Working Group Halts Price Talks Pending Minister’s Management Plan

March 21, 2026 / Media Releases, Member Updates

ST. JOHN’S, NL – This morning, the FFAW Snow Crab Negotiating Working Group met and voted unanimously to not begin crab price negotiations until Minister Thompson releases her decision on 2026 crab quotas and

Positive Outlook for Capelin in Latest Stock Assessment, But DFO Forecasts Continue to Miss the Mark

March 11, 2026 / Media Releases

FFAW-Unifor is encouraged by the positive outlook for 2J3KL capelin coming out of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ latest stock assessment, with favourable environmental conditions, more capelin showing up in the

FFAW Calls for Minister to Scrap PA in 2026 Management as DFO Assessment Signals More Pain for 3K, 2J and 3Ps Harvesters

February 24, 2026 / Media Releases

February 24, 2026 ST. JOHN’S, NL – Today’s technical briefing from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Science Department has left harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador demanding a complete

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4 days ago

🔴🦀MEDIA RELEASE: FFAW Snow Crab Negotiating Working Group Halts Price Talks Pending Minister’s Management Plan March 21, 2026 ST. JOHN’S, NL - This morning, the FFAW Snow Crab Negotiating Working Group met and voted unanimously to not begin crab price negotiations until Minister Thompson releases her decision on 2026 crab quotas and opening dates are set. This approach will allow crab fisheries in the Gulf and Maritimes to open first, giving the market a chance to stabilize before Newfoundland and Labrador negotiations proceed. It also provides companies additional time to settle outstanding payments owed to harvesters from the 2025 season. “Holding off on negotiations at this time is the most responsible course of action,” says FFAW President Dwan Street. “Having clarity on the 2026 management plan and seeing how the Gulf snow crab fishery performs will give harvesters a much clearer sense of where prices need to be this season,” Street explains. The Committee remains committed to achieving a fair and transparent price-setting process for the 2026 crab fishery and will reconvene once quota and opening information is available. ... See MoreSee Less

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FFAW-Unifor

5 days ago

📣 MORE PUBLISHED RESEARCH ON SEISMIC AND FISHINGA new book chapter from Dr. Corey Morris and his team at DFO is now available. This is the closest to an overall synthesis of his research on seismic activity and its impact on commercial fishing generated so far; it cites many of the papers the team has published along the way.This is the stepping-stone to the ongoing cumulative effects work, looking at large spatial scales examining relationships between fisheries catch rates and soundscapes (ambient, vessels, seismic etc.). Dr. Morris is appreciative of the collaboration from FFAW thus far. Members are reminded a seismic survey questionnaire will be sent out in the coming weeks for folks with experience fishing during seismic season or in areas where seismic has occurred. The new book chapter can be found here: ... See MoreSee Less

From Behavioral Experiments to Fisheries Impacts: A Collaborative Evaluation of Seismic Survey Effects on Snow Crab and Groundfish

link.springer.com

To assess the impacts of seismic surveying on commercial fisheries offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, a series of collaborative studies was conducted with the fishing industry, oil and gas se...

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FFAW-Unifor

7 days ago

📣 PFHCB SEEKING EXECUTIVE DIRECTORThe Professional Fish Harvesters Certification Board (PFHCB) is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization in its continued implementation and advancement of the professionalization and certification program for fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador.Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@pfhcb.com.See the job ad attached: ... See MoreSee Less

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FFAW-Unifor

1 week ago

📣 DFO Updates Licence Conditions for Lost and Retrieved Fishing GearFisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has recently made changes to conditions of licence related to lost and retrieved fishing gear.These updates include further clarification around what constitutes “lost gear,” as well as a change to reporting requirements. Harvesters using electronic e-logs will no longer be able to report lost gear through the e-log system and will instead continue reporting through the Fishing Gear Reporting System (FGRS).Additional details are included in the attached materials. ... See MoreSee Less

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FFAW-Unifor

1 week ago

📣 Union Forum Magazine Moving to Opt-In Format FFAW-Unifor is modernizing how we communicate with members. The Union Forum magazine will move to an “opt-in” distribution model and shift to two issues per year.In the past, the magazine was one of our main ways to reach members. Today, we provide near real-time updates through Facebook, email lists tailored by area and species, text messages, and a redesigned website with meeting notices, fish prices, and member resources.These tools allow us to reach members faster and more effectively than ever. As a result, the role of the Union Forum has changed.Going forward, the magazine will be published twice annually in a Summer and Winter edition. The magazine will remain available online, and members who enjoy receiving a paper copy can still opt in. This change helps reduce the significant costs of printing and postage while maintaining access for those who want it.To continue to receive a copy of the Union Forum going forward, please complete the opt-in process at ffaw.ca/optin or call the FFAW-Unifor office at (709) 576-7276 to have your opt-in recorded. ... See MoreSee Less

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