FFAW Meets with Federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson
May 30, 2019
05/30/2019
On May 29, FFAW-Unifor’s President, Secretary Treasurer and Director of Public Affairs met with Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Jonathan Wilkinson in St. John’s.
The meeting’s discussion focused on northern cod, as a decision is expected on the management approach for the stewardship fishery in the coming weeks. FFAW highlighted the management recommendations presented by the NL Groundfish Industry Development Council and the importance of northern cod to fish harvesters, plant workers and coastal communities. In addition, FFAW emphasized the importance of maintain the federal commitment to allocating exclusive access to the first 115,000 metric tonnes of northern cod to inshore harvesters and indigenous groups.
FFAW-Unifor raised the importance of increases to the Gulf Halibut quota to harvesters on the west coast of the province. Harvesters are observing significant abundance of halibut and an increase in quota was supported by science.
FFAW-Unifor also raised the need more science and changes to the management structure of mackerel in order to identify a distinction in the stock off the northeast coast of NL, where harvesters have been sampling pencil mackerel and are observing an abundant stock.
FFAW-Unifor’s recommendations were welcomed by the Minister. We will provide updates to our members once any decisions are announced by DFO.