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Inshore Council Update – April 17, 2020

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Inshore Council Update – April 17, 2020
April 17, 2020

This Inshore Council held a meeting this afternoon to discuss issues facing the inshore fishery in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a very productive discussion surrounding safety and the safe work practices. Dr. Fitzgerald has provided comment on these safe work practices. We will be incorporating her comments as well as comments from OHS and will distribute to harvesters over the weekend.

There was significant discussion regarding further delays to the inshore fisheries. The Snow Crab Committee will be meeting this weekend to determine openings or further delays for crab. The Lobster Committee will be meeting on April 24 to determine openings or further delays for that fishery, and the Gulf Shrimp Committee will be meeting in the coming days for discussions on the gulf shrimp fishery. No fishery will open prior to May 1st.

The Inshore Council also passed a resolution demanding that the provincial government prohibit all out-of-province and out-of-country vessels from landing any product in Newfoundland and Labrador, until fish harvesters and plant workers have deemed it safe to do so. They are asking the provincial government to prioritize the health and safety of workers.

We will provide an update following the Crab Committee meeting this weekend.

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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.