Provincial Government Acts on Commitment, Withdraws Support for South Coast NMCA

ST. JOHN’S, NL – FFAW-Unifor welcomes today’s decision by the provincial government to withdraw Newfoundland and Labrador’s support for the proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) on the province’s south coast.

This action delivers on a clear commitment made by the Progressive Conservative Party during the recent election and demonstrates that Premier Tony Wakeham and his government are prepared to act decisively in support of the province’s fishing industry and the coastal communities that depend on it.

“We thank Premier Wakeham and the provincial government for following through on their promise to withdraw support for this proposed NMCA,” says FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street. “This decision shows respect for fish harvesters and recognizes the real economic harm this proposal posed to adjacent communities.”

From the outset, the proposed NMCA threatened the owner-operator fishery while offering no evidence that it would achieve meaningful conservation outcomes. Newfoundland and Labrador’s fisheries are already sustainably managed in collaboration with harvesters and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and further restrictions would only undermine livelihoods while allowing other industrial activities to continue within the same area.

“This announcement is an important step in pushing back against baseless marine closures that unfairly target fish harvesters under the guise of conservation,” says FFAW-Unifor Secretary-Treasurer Jamie Baker. “Fish harvesters have led the way in sustainable fisheries management and deserve decisions based on real science, fairness, and transparency instead of ideology.”

FFAW-Unifor has consistently opposed marine closures that exclude fishing activity while permitting oil and gas exploration and other industrial uses, as well as those that lack clear conservation objectives, monitoring, or accountability. Throughout the NMCA process, fish harvesters were not meaningfully included as stakeholders, having been excluded from the steering committee and only engaged late in the process after FFAW-Unifor pressed for consultation.

“Today’s decision reflects what can happen when governments listen to the people who live and work on the water. We look forward to continued engagement with Premier Wakeham and his government to ensure our fisheries are managed fairly, sustainably, and with harvesters at the table,” Street says.

“As our members know, we still have some important obstacles to address in the fishery—and we await Premier Wakeham’s swift action to resolve the ongoing pricing crisis,” Street concludes.