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FFAW Welcomes Lisa Dempster to Provincial Fisheries Portfolio, Parsons to Labour; Extends Gratitude to Outgoing Minister Byrne

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FFAW Welcomes Lisa Dempster to Provincial Fisheries Portfolio, Parsons to Labour; Extends Gratitude to Outgoing Minister Byrne
May 10, 2025

May 10, 2025

Newly appointed Premier, John Hogan, announced his new cabinet yesterday in St. John’s. Premier Hogan’s changes bring new ministers to all portfolios impacting FFAW-Unifor members; Minister Byrne is moving to Jobs, Immigration and Growth, while Minister Lisa Dempster assumes the fisheries portfolio, and Minister Pam Parsons will assume Dempster’s previous role as minister responsible for Workplace NL.

FFAW-Unifor extends its sincere gratitude to the Honourable Gerry Byrne for his dedicated service as Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture over the past several months. Minister Byrne’s commitment to advancing Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry, from supporting harvesters access to competitive markets, to navigating complex challenges like U.S. tariff threats, has been invaluable.

“We wish Minister Byrne the best in his new portfolio as Minister of Jobs, Immigrations and Growth, and look forward to continuing to work with him on key projects like the New Entrants Program for the inshore fishery,” says FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street.

FFAW-Unifor warmly welcomes the Honourable Lisa Dempster as the new Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture. The Union is also welcoming Minister Pam Parsons to the portfolio of WorkplaceNL as the new minister responsible for labour in our province. FFAW-Unifor looks forward to working with both new Ministers in their new capacity to address pressing issues like sales reporting and the grievance process in the fishing industry.

“Minister Byrne’s passion for our fishery set a strong foundation, and we’re excited to partner with Ministers Dempster and Parsons to continue to build on that success. Their track record of standing up for workers gives us confidence both Ministers will champion both harvesters and plant workers as we face the future together,” Street concludes.

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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.