MEDIA RELEASE: Companies Break From ASP to Sign Capelin Pricing Agreement

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Several processing companies have agreed to pay above and beyond the minimum price selected by the Standing Fish Price Setting Panel, allowing the important fishery to get underway as early as tomorrow. While the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) itself refused to return to the bargaining table, five processing companies have signed an agreement to pay $0.30 per pound for Grade A capelin with a price table adjusted accordingly, amounting to a 20% increase above the Panel’s price on June 14. Two other companies have made verbal commitments but have yet to physically sign the agreement.

“This agreement is historic for several reasons,” explains FFAW-Unifor President Greg Pretty. “Harvesters stood strong and demanded that without a fair price for all, no fishery would take place this season. They’ve once again shown the province that their united resolve can and does achieve significant gains,” he says.

“Most significantly, what happened here was a complete breakdown of the Association of Seafood Producers and their ability to bargain on behalf of their member companies,” Pretty says. “Our negotiating committee and capelin committees worked extremely hard to get this deal by making calls and applying pressure to get their buyers back to the table. In the end, they achieved the deal the Panel failed to select,” he says.

The pricing agreement is significant for the province and coastal communities, as harvesters will now be getting a fair price for the fishery and plant workers will receive much needed additional hours and weeks of work, made especially critical this season as a result of the broken EI system.  

“Harvesters should be wary if their buyer did not sign the agreement, and requests should be made for all companies who wish to buy capelin to sign on. Harvesters will be able to avail of buyers who did sign the agreement,” says lead price negotiator, Abe Solberg. “ASP has proven to be a barrier to the functioning of our industry, and the house of cards is visibly collapsing,” Solberg adds.  

As of tonight, June 23, the Price Setting Panel has still not released their reasoning for the June 14 decision.

“The Standing Fish Price Setting Panel has catastrophically failed the fishing industry in our province. Continually and repeatedly, the Panel has created industry turmoil rather than the stability it so desperately needs,” Pretty says. “Thanks to the impressive work of our bargaining and capelin committees, the fishery will get soon underway for harvesters and plant workers,” he concludes.

Companies signed onto the agreement:

1. Barry Group
2. Golden Shell Fisheries
3. Labrador Fishermen’s Union Shrimp Company
4. Bay Roberts Seafood
5. Beothic Fish Processors

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