Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish harvesters quickly rallied on Sunday afternoon following cuts to the snow crab fishery and what they call the Liberals’ mismanagement of the fisheries.
About 100 people crowd gathered peacefully outside federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson’s campaign office in St. John’s with the hope of receiving an explanation for major cuts to harvesting snow crab in the 3K area. The division is losing almost a quarter of last year’s total allowable catch at 7,643 tonnes, down from 9,998 tonnes in 2024.
Fish, Food, and Allied Workers (FFAW) president Dwan Street said she was cautiously optimistic about Thompson taking on the fisheries portfolio.
She hoped that Thompson, a fellow Newfoundlander, would make decisions to benefit communities in her province.
“I have never in my life seen the shine come off a fisheries minister as fast as I have with Minister Thompson,” Street said. “It was a political win. She was handed a golden opportunity.”
The crowd invited Thompson and Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will be in St. John’s this evening for his first campaign rally, to address the protesters.
The FFAW later changed their plans and instructed fish harvesters to protest outside The Rooms, an art gallery and museum where Carney had been planning to speak. Carney’s event has since been moved to the St. John’s Convention Centre, and the protesters plan follow.
FFAW In-shore president Jason Sullivan said the Liberals are killing rural Newfoundland.
“No one gives a f – – – about Newfoundland,” Sullivan told the crowd. “When you find carbon tax Carney this evening, you’ve got to show him you’re not weak.”
The FFAW has advised CBC that the protest is prepared to move if the location of Carney’s campaign rally changes.
More to come.
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