Union pleased with shrimp fishery decision, but says concerns remain

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The head of a large fisheries union in Newfoundland and Labrador says he’s pleased with Ottawa’s decision to scrap a contentious policy governing the lucrative northern shrimp fishery.

Keith Sullivan, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union, says eliminating the last in, first out policy, or LIFO, will help make fisheries management policies more fair.

But he says the viability of the inshore fishery remains unclear without details on how proportional sharing will work.

Also, he says the union is concerned about removing allocations from inshore harvesters, primarily in Labrador.

Ottawa accepted a recommendation Wednesday to scrap the contentious policy that has divided fisheries ministers in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said proportional sharing is consistent with the approach used in most other Canadian fisheries, and means inshore and offshore fleets will continue to share in the benefits of the multimillion-dollar fishery.