PREMIER WAKEHAM HEARS HARVESTER CONCERNS, COMMITS TO FINDING WAY FORWARD
January 13, 2026
ST. JOHN’S, NL – This evening, members of the FFAW Snow Crab Negotiating Committee met with Premier Tony Wakeham, Minister Loyola O’Driscoll, and Minister Mike Goosney to hear the province’s response to last week’s meeting on the fish pricing crisis.
“The Premier understands the value of the formula that was in place this year when it comes to starting the fishery on time and treating all harvesters equally regardless of when they land their crab,” says FFAW President Dwan Street. “Importantly, the Premier has told us he stands by all the commitments he made during the election.”
The Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) is refusing to meet with the Union to discuss the current situation, however the Premier has committed to find a way past this impasse.
“It’s very unfortunate that even with a new Executive Director, the ASP way of doing things hasn’t changed. These companies know they have no valid explanation for the drastic gap between NL and gulf crab prices, but the blatant market manipulation is finally coming to light,” Street says. “Premier Wakeham expressed disappointment with the formula’s failure and acknowledged that this year’s large gap between NL and Gulf 5-8oz sections on Urner Barry raises a lot of questions that need answering by the people responsible.”
With the serious unrest among harvesters right now, it’s crucial that FFAW and ASP meet to discuss releasing the calculated price for other pack sizes. That number can only be released prior to the arbitration if both parties agree.
“It has recently come to light that companies like OCI have given select harvesters bonuses of up to 35 cents per pound in addition to the calculated rebate. These individual agreements are counter to the purpose of a collective agreement and it’s harmful to independent owner-operator enterprises,” says FFAW Secretary-Treasurer Jamie Baker.
“It may be possible for us to negotiate a peaceful solution to this pressure-boiler situation, but that will take a show of good faith from ASP and their member companies. Give everyone the back-door bonus, and we may be able to quell the pending chaos,” Baker says.
In regard to licensing, the Premier has committed to a ‘build it and you will get it’ approach, ensuring that jobs stay in the province and allowing that sector to grow.
“We all know that ASP companies used free enterprise policies in 2025 to block independent harvesters from selling product off island while they themselves shipped untold quantities out of the province,” Street says. “We know this impacted plant workers and we were glad to hear the Premier question why a processing company would need to ship crab off the island.”
“We know that members are anxious to make their frustrations heard. We feel confident that Premier Wakeham has listened to us tonight, and most importantly we feel the Premier understands the seriousness of the situation facing our province. While the Premier and Ministers continue to work on your behalf, we ask members to be prepared to travel to St. John’s by mid-next week,” Street concludes.
WHAT’S NEXT:
– The Premier will be meeting with ASP tomorrow afternoon.
– The Premier has committed to bringing ASP back to the table.
– The Premier has committed to meeting with us again next week.
– Members should be prepared to come to St. John’s by the middle of next week.