FFAW-UNIFOR CALLS FOR MP INTERVENTION TO HALT DFO's INFLEXIBLE E-LOG IMPLEMENTATION
February 17, 2025
FFAW-Unifor is urging Members of Parliament to intervene following the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) rejection of their proposed electronic logbook (ELOG) implementation plan. The union’s proposal aimed to address critical concerns raised by harvesters and facilitate a smoother transition to ELOGs.
FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street expressed strong disapproval of DFO’s decision, stating, “DFO’s inflexibility in mandating ELOGs without addressing accessibility issues, technology concerns, and cost implications places an undue burden on our harvesters. We call on our MPs to step in and halt this misguided implementation that threatens the livelihoods of our fishing communities”.
The union’s proposal offered a balanced approach, allowing for gradual implementation and incentivizing early adopters. It also considered the unique challenges faced by the fishing community, including limited cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity in many fishing areas of Newfoundland and Labrador.
President Street added, “By rejecting our proposal, DFO has demonstrated a lack of understanding of the diverse needs within our fishing community. We need our elected representatives to intervene and ensure that the transition to ELOGs is done in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the operations of our harvesters”.
FFAW-Unifor is calling for immediate action to prevent the rushed and potentially problematic transition to ELOGs, which could have significant impacts on the fishing industry’s ability to operate efficiently and comply with reporting requirements.
*Attached is a list of all current MPs in Newfoundland and Labrador. Below is a draft email for members to send to their local MP:
To whom it may concern,
I’m writing today to ask you to intervene in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ rejection of FFAW-Unifor’s proposal regarding mandatory ELOG implementation.
Mandatory ELOGs, for many harvesters, raise concerns in the areas of accessibility, technology adoption, privacy and cost-effectiveness that has not been properly addressed by DFO. The previously rejected proposal by FFAW-Unifor addressed these issues, allowing for gradual implementation of ELOGs and incentivizing early adopters of the technology, while safeguarding harvesters without the ability to adopt the technology now or in the future.
As an elected representative of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, I am requesting that you stand up for the harvesters of this province and fight to protect our coastal communities by standing up to DFO’s rushed and potentially problematic implementation of ELOGs that serves to jeopardize fishing operations throughout this province.