Late last week, the federal government announced massive reductions in the quota for northern shrimp. Harvesters and plant workers alike say it will be a severe blow for the industry.
Today in the House of Assembly, NDP House Leader Lorraine Michael (MHA, St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi) proposed that government reconvene the All-Party Committee on Northern Shrimp to deal with the emergency.
“Last week’s federal government announcement of drastic quota reductions for the 2017 inshore northern shrimp fishery is devastating news for harvesters, processors and plant workers in the province,” she said in the House of Assembly.
“I ask the Premier, is he willing to reactivate the All Party Committee on northern shrimp so we can have a united effort in addressing this disaster?” The jobs created on land by the fishery must be a factor in any decisions made around shrimp quotas, says Michael.
“The inshore shrimp sector has supported thousands of onshore processing jobs, while there is virtually no onshore processing generated by landings from the offshore shrimp sector,” she said.
“I ask the Minister of Fisheries and Lands, has he considered requiring offshore shrimp license holders landing their catch in the province to process a portion of their landings in shrimp plants in the province?” Michael wants the Minister, and other members of the house to join together to demand that DFO make it a condition of license for offshore license holders to direct a portion of their landings for processing onshore.