MEDIA RELASE: FFAW Responds to ASP Letter to Premier on Snow Crab and Buyers’ Licences

The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) is responding to an open letter issued by the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) that contains a number of inaccurate and misleading claims about harvesters, the snow crab fishery, and the use of buyers’ licences in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“ASP’s assertion that harvesters are refusing to fish is incorrect. Harvesters are prepared to fish but are seeking a fair and reasonable price through improvements to a process that has increasingly failed to deliver fair and balanced outcomes,” says FFAW President Dwan Street. “The ongoing delay in the fishery is the result of unresolved pricing issues and the need for clarity on 2026 quotas and export markets. This information is expected to be available in the coming days which will allow the negotiations process to begin. The Union is not promoting a delay or stoppage of the snow crab fishery in any way,” Street explains.

Claims that FFAW intends to move large volumes of crab out of province at the expense of plant workers are also false. Harvesters exploring market options reflects a lack of competition in the current system, where access to processing is increasingly concentrated among a small number of companies who artificially suppress NL prices.

“Last year, the previous Executive Director of ASP was overheard gloating with company management over the amount of crab processors were shipping out of the province. All at the expense of the people working their plants, ASP’s current PR campaign is a false reflection of their true morals and values,” Street says.

While the FFAW is still waiting for provincial clarification on just how much crab companies shipped out in 2025, provincial changes to processing licences will prevent ASP companies from shipping out any unprocessed product in 2026.

“Fish harvesters have dealt with a deteriorating snow crab pricing process over the last number of years. Rather than choose fairness and transparency, ASP and their member companies have repeatedly threatened and blacklisted harvesters who try to speak out or sell elsewhere,” Street says.

A competitive marketplace is essential to ensuring fair returns to harvesters and long-term stability in the fishery. Limiting access to alternative buyers serves to reinforce the very challenges that continue to impact negotiations year after year.

“We know members are concerned and we want you to know that our goal is to still start the snow crab fishery on time. The FFAW remains committed to a strong, sustainable fishery that supports both harvesters and plant workers. However, stability in the industry must be built on fair pricing, transparency, and a bargaining process that all fish harvesters can have confidence in,” Street concludes.