Fed up with annual fishery shenanigans
Is anyone out there on the Rock getting fed up yet with the annual shenanigans and goings on of our spoiled but purportedly hard-pressed fisher people and their trusty sidekick, the FFAW?
Watching yet again another crab protest, this time orchestrated to disrupt the government’s finance speech, has me remembering the incensed fishers of yore battering down doors to get at John Crosbie, the then-fisheries minister, as he retaliated with the now famous, “I didn’t fish the GD fish out” or something along those lines (pardon the pun).
The real sensitivity of these reactive mariners on Confederation Hill recently was particularly evident as they took their fury out on the RNC equines just before mounting their own modest 80K+ Ford 150 and Ram steeds before heading back to their haciendas and a quick ride on the ATV before supper.
The latest in the FFAW’S struggle to get the poor fishers up to a living wage (sarcasm) according to The Telegram (Friday, April 5) is negotiating to up the capelin prices/quotas. This is definitely do-able, as every Newfoundland knows how plentiful capelin have been in the last 20 years (more sarcasm). They must be feeding on all the excess shrimp out there (yet more sarcasm).
The FFAW even walked out on meetings with DFO because DFO had the audacity to include Oceana as a participating member. A charity, I might add, dedicated to healthy oceans and one I support.
The FFAW has labelled them “environmental extremists” for daring to interfere with the well-run machine that is our fishing resource. Do I detect a Trump moment here?
My own experience of our Newfoundland “fishers” is when one to three scallop draggers ($$$) descended upon Salmonier Arm across from Mount Carmel, where we had a cottage, several years ago in early spring.
They spent almost every day for six months dragging the narrow channel that would take a row boat 15 to 20 minutes to cross (I’ve done it).
I would imagine they destroyed any remnant of marine bottom life including kelp, seagrass, crab and anything else that was supported in the ecosystem.
Almost every day, for that summer period, I watched them return, discarding everything out the back of the boat like garbage except the scallops. Haven’t eaten a scallop since and would advise others to do same. Have pics of this event, if anyone’s interested.
To conclude, I’m writing this rather inadequate letter today in response to the capelin article in the Telegram mentioned above.
It is to show that not all Newfoundlanders are gullible enough to believe that Newfoundland fishers/ FFAW are the only and best advisors about our capelin resource.
These small food food fish determine a healthy ecosystem for larger species like cod.
Because of this great importance, we should take all the scientific advice that’s given either by fishers, DFO or any dedicated charity, especially one as professional and involved as Oceana Canada.
I’m sure Gus would have agreed.
Blair Withycombe Mount Pearl