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Dwan Street President of FFAW
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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 /
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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PROVINCE DELIVERS ON DEMAND FOR COMPETITION AND FAIRNESS

February 20, 2026 /
ST. JOHN’S, NL – FFAW-Unifor is welcoming a major provincial step toward restoring competition and fairness in Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish processing sector. Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Loyola O’Driscoll
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MEETING UPDATE FEB 16

February 16, 2026 / ,
Today’s meeting with the provincial government went well and we are awaiting written confirmation of expectations going forward. We expect this to be received tomorrow, and we will communicate the
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14,000 working Newfoundlanders and Labradorians - a history steeped in the fishing industry.

FFAW-Unifor

2 days ago

FFAW-Unifor
📣 RESCHEDULED: 3L Cod Fleet MeetingThe meeting for the Southern Shore Inshore Cod Fleet has been rescheduled. There will now be an inshore Cod Fleet meeting at the Fisherman's Center in Petty Harbour on February 24th at 1:30PM. This meeting encompasses St. Mary's Bay to Pouch Cove. Cod Committee Elections will be held at this time. ... See MoreSee Less
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FFAW-Unifor

4 days ago

FFAW-Unifor
📣🦀 AREA 12E/12F CRAB FLEET MEETING/ ELECTION & BAY OF ISLANDS COMMERCIAL FLEET MEETINGThere will be a Crab Fleet Meeting for Area 12E/12F, as well as, a Bay of Islands Commercial Fleet Meeting, on Monday February 23rd, 2026. The meeting will be held at the Greenwood Inn in Corner Brook starting at 10:00am. Area representative election will also be taking place at this time.If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Staff Rep Jeff Griffin at (709) 765-7854. ... See MoreSee Less
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FFAW-Unifor

4 days ago

FFAW-Unifor
🔴 PROVINCE DELIVERS ON DEMAND FOR COMPETITION AND FAIRNESSST. JOHN’S, NL - FFAW-Unifor is welcoming a major provincial step toward restoring competition and fairness in Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish processing sector. Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Loyola O’Driscoll has confirmed important changes to industry policy.BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO NEW PROCESSING LICENCESNew fish processing licence applications will now be received and analyzed directly by the Department, with recommendations going to the Minister under Section 5 of the Fish Inspection Act. The change means the long-standing practice of routing applications through the Fish Processing Licensing Board is ending immediately, 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 players and regional investment in rural communities.CLOSING LOOPHOLES AND LIMITING PROCESSOR CONTROLIn addition, government has clarified that licensed processors will no longer be eligible to hold a Fish Buyers Licence (Outside Buyer Licence) for any species except sea urchin, effective April 1, 2026. 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. This change prevents NL companies from using free enterprise policies intended to support competition and access for harvesters, preventing these large processors from extending control over purchasing and keeping more processing work 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, the Union says there is plenty of work ahead for all processing workers.“In 2005, quota levels were under 50,000t but the number of plant workers exceeded 13,000. Now in 2025 we had a nearly 63,000t quota but the number of plant workers has been cut in 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 FISHERYThe move responds 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. ... See MoreSee Less
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4 days ago

FFAW-Unifor
🔴📣🦀: POSTPONED TO A LATER DATEA meeting for the 3Ps Small Supp Crab Fleet scheduled for Monday, February 23rd at 3:00PM at the Clarenville Inn will be postponed. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the science related to the upcoming crab season. A later time and date will be announced once one becomes available. ... See MoreSee Less

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FFAW-Unifor

4 days ago

FFAW-Unifor
🔴📣 🦀 POSTPONED FOR A LATER DATE:Meetings for the 10A Crab Fleet scheduled for Monday, February 23rd at the following locations: 9:00 AM - Royal Canadian Legion, Placentia, 12:00 PM - Southern Harbour Community Center. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss the science related to the upcoming crab season. We will provide an updated date and time, once one becomes available. ... See MoreSee Less

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A narrative video is developed every three years for screening at FFAW-Unifor’s Constitutional Conventions. This video highlights the key events that took place between 2022 and 2024, and was shown at the union’s 13th Constitutional Convention held in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador on November 18, 2024. Credits: Production & Editing: Tristram Clarke, Tristram Clarke Visual Media Services Direction & Script: Courtney Glode, FFAW-Unifor Fishing/Workplace Videography: KOBB Media
2024 FFAW Constitutional Convention Video
The further corporatization of our province's fishery must end. Resource management decisions based on votes and international clout must be stopped. Our Liberal MPs have lost all sense of integrity and ethics. They have forgotten who elected them, and they fail to recognize the wake of destruction they will leave behind for our future generations. Music: Zach Bryan, Cold Damn Vampires
The Corporatization of Newfoundland's Cod Fishery
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Dr. Erin Carruthers

Dr. Erin Carruthers is the Science Director and Senior Fisheries Scientist with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor), which is the labour union that represents the owner-operator fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador. The FFAW is committed to research and management that supports healthy oceans, fisheries, and coastal communities. Dr. Carruthers received her Ph. D. in Biology from Memorial University in 2011 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. Before coming to Newfoundland, Erin worked as a Research Biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the St. Andrews Biological Station. Her current research program is co-constructed with fish harvesters and includes research on coastal fishing communities, collaborative longline and trap surveys, and best practices for the avoidance, handling and release of unwanted catch.