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REMINDER: COMPENSATION FOR LOSSES DUE TO WEST WHITE ROSE

July 24, 2025

Cenovus has developed a compensation program to provide fair and timely compensation to commercial fish harvesters, regardless of NAFO fishing area, who sustain losses because of disruption to fishing activities and species habitat as a result of Cenovus’s West White Rose Project dredging program in Argentia Harbour in 2024-2025 and marine activities within Placentia Bay in 2025, including the tow-out and ballasting of the concrete gravity structure.

CLAIMS CAN BE MADE FOR LOSSES FOR THE NEXT THREE FISHING SEASONS, UNTIL OCTOBER 31, 2027.

Cenovus recognizes the need to compensate fishing industry participants fully and fairly for all actual loss it may cause, with the aim of leaving participants in no worse or better a position than before the activity occurred.

The Program applies to actual loss of harvesting efficiency, fishing opportunities or fishing income to harvesters, where that actual loss may be reasonably linked to Cenovus’s activities.

Harvesters seeking compensation are asked to review the Compensation Document (Cenovus-Fisheries-Compensation-Program.pdf) and complete the LOSS CLAIM FORM (LOSS-CLAIM-FORM.pdf).

Again, this program applies to harvesters from any NAFO fishing area that can attribute their losses to the Cenovus project marine activities. Anyone with more questions can please reach out to Katie Power, Industry Relations Representative at 709-576-7276 ext. 213 or kpower@ffaw.ca

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.