06/29/2016
ST. JOHN’S, NL – The Ministerial Advisory Panel conducting an external review of the Last-In, First-Out policy (LIFO) released its recommendations yesterday. The Panel recommended abolishing LIFO and implementing permanent proportional sharing.
“The panel recommendation to abolish LIFO and implement permanent proportional sharing is a much fairer decision based on good fisheries management principles,” said Keith Sullivan, President of the Fish, Food & Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor). “The panel accepted the position of harvesters, plant workers, municipal leaders and small business owners who have been speaking out against LIFO for years.”
The Panel determined that the LIFO policy was not sustainable. In its place, the proposed sharing regime would establish percentage shares from 2016 onward in each of the shrimp fishing areas. Percentage shares for each quota holder in SFA 6 will be calculated based on the total of cumulated annual allocations between 1997 and 2009, before LIFO was implemented.
The Panel also recommended that special allocation holders in SFA 6 be given the option of utilizing the inshore fleet to harvest their allocations. Additionally, it was recommended that the Government of Canada establish a formal ongoing engagement process with all sectors of the industry to ensure that the repatriation of the processing of industrial shrimp becomes a reality that will benefit inshore processing facilities.
“While the decision doesn’t remove the offshore fleet from area 6, it does strengthen adjacency in area 6 and recommends long overdue changes to how special allocations can be harvested,” continued Sullivan. “Most importantly, the recommendation will allow for a viable inshore northern shrimp fishery this year.”
A final decision on the review is expected to be made by Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, later this week.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Jessica McCormick, FFAW-Unifor Communications Officer
709-576-7276 (office)
jmccormick@ffaw.net