Latest news with #FFAW
CBC
19-05-2025
- CBC
FFAW inshore vice-president says privacy violated by DFO cellphone seizure
A fisherman and FFAW union representative is accusing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada of overreach following officers seizing his cellphone as part of an investigation. Jason Sullivan, who is also the FFAW inshore vice-president, says he's being investigated over an alleged fishing violation over claims that he let someone else haul his gear for him. As part of the investigation he says his cellphone was confiscated and he's worried about sensitive union information on his phone as well as info on his personal life. "It's a pretty big violation of privacy in my opinion," he told CBC Radio's The Broadcast. "A lot of fishermen reach out to me about different issues they're having with the DFO," he said. "There's a lot of sensitive information even pertaining to the union on my phone." He says DFO officers also searched his boat and took navigation aids, which he says he doesn't have a problem with, but he draws the line at his cellphone. He alleges he was threatened with being thrown against a car and handcuffed if he refused to hand over his cellular device. "If they can just come up with these wild accusations, get a warrant. You wouldn't know but we're smuggling cocaine or something." Sullivan denies the allegation, saying he did not permit someone else to haul his gear. He also calls it an insignificant accusation and it would only result in a fine of a few thousand dollars. Next steps Sullivan says union leadership is behind him and will take action. "If we have to sue DFO, if we have to sue the fisheries officers that are involved in this and that are pushing this kind of behaviour, we're gonna have to do it," he said. He says his cellphone isn't a tool he uses for fishing and isn't sure why it was taken or when it might be returned. Sullivan also says DFO wouldn't clarify to him why they were taking his cellphone and he says he offered to give them his e-log account, or electronic logging device that allows fishermen to upload catch information. DFO declined to provide further details on the investigation. "As this is an ongoing investigation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is not able to comment," it said in an email to CBC News. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson's spokesperson Andrew Richardson says Thompson became aware of the situation after she was sent media requests. "Law enforcement activity takes place at arm's length from the minister and her office. As this is a law enforcement matter, we have no further comment," he wrote to CBC News.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Judge rules in favour of ASP in crab price deadline challenge, minister says he'll change legislation
Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne says he is "gob struck," claiming the ASP did not provide empathy when FFAW president Dwan Street fell ill. (Ted Dillon/CBC) The Association of Seafood Producers won its court challenge on Wednesday, arguing that Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne acted outside his authority by moving the snow crab price setting deadline and that the move was contrary to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act. Justice Alexander MacDonald said the only reasonable interpretation of the legislation is that the minister can change the date only if all parties ask him to do it. Only the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW) had made that request to Byrne. Despite for the court's decision, Byrne says legislation is subject to interpretation and he thinks his decision to move the date was the right thing to do. "We are going to table legislation, an amendment, to allow this to occur lawfully," Byrne told CBC News. But MacDonald says Byrne made the best decision he could under the circumstances. He also said there isn't any evidence that the minister had improper motives to move the date to April 13. Byrne told CBC News he felt as though there was a positive relationship between the ASP and FFAW, and that both the government and ASP were notified of the request for delay. "I am gob struck … [that] when a person faces an uncertainty, someone in such a lead role as that, that empathy could not be provided," said Byrne. "That's quite remarkable in my opinion." Strained relationship Ray Critch, representing the FFAW, says the union made the request when FFAW president Dwan Street fell ill. Street was a key negotiator, and Critch says it was important for the union to have her involved in the process. Fish, Food and Allied Workers union lawyer Ray Critch says the ASP wasn't willing to accommodate delays to setting the crab price. (Ted Dillon/CBC) "The ASP had made clear by that point that they weren't willing to accommodate any delays," said Critch. "In the end, the relationship between the association and the union is a strained one." Critch says the court's decision was unfortunate. "I think ultimately the minister has to have some discretion when they need to … be able to change the date," he said. But ASP executive director Jeff Loder says the minister's decision was wrong, and the date change resulted in a delay in the fishery. Association of Seafood Producers executive director Jeff Loder says his organization should have been consulted before Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne pushed the crab price deadline. (Ted Dillon/CBC) "It's never a good day in Newfoundland and Labrador when a minister of the Crown or any government minister acts in a way, makes a decision, that is not consistent with the rules," Loder said Wednesday. Loder says the ASP never was made aware of FFAW's request to delay the price setting date. "At a minimum, there should have been consultation and we could have had a discussion about this," he said. Both the ASP and FFAW submitted their pricing recommendations. The panel hearing began on Apr. 6, and a decision is due on Thursday — the crab season's opening day. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge rules in favour of ASP in crab price deadline challenge, minister says he'll change legislation
Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne says he is "gob struck," claiming the ASP did not provide empathy when FFAW president Dwan Street fell ill. (Ted Dillon/CBC) The Association of Seafood Producers won its court challenge on Wednesday, arguing that Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne acted outside his authority by moving the snow crab price setting deadline and that the move was contrary to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act. Justice Alexander MacDonald said the only reasonable interpretation of the legislation is that the minister can change the date only if all parties ask him to do it. Only the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW) had made that request to Byrne. Despite for the court's decision, Byrne says legislation is subject to interpretation and he thinks his decision to move the date was the right thing to do. "We are going to table legislation, an amendment, to allow this to occur lawfully," Byrne told CBC News. But MacDonald says Byrne made the best decision he could under the circumstances. He also said there isn't any evidence that the minister had improper motives to move the date to April 13. Byrne told CBC News he felt as though there was a positive relationship between the ASP and FFAW, and that both the government and ASP were notified of the request for delay. "I am gob struck … [that] when a person faces an uncertainty, someone in such a lead role as that, that empathy could not be provided," said Byrne. "That's quite remarkable in my opinion." Strained relationship Ray Critch, representing the FFAW, says the union made the request when FFAW president Dwan Street fell ill. Street was a key negotiator, and Critch says it was important for the union to have her involved in the process. Fish, Food and Allied Workers union lawyer Ray Critch says the ASP wasn't willing to accommodate delays to setting the crab price. (Ted Dillon/CBC) "The ASP had made clear by that point that they weren't willing to accommodate any delays," said Critch. "In the end, the relationship between the association and the union is a strained one." Critch says the court's decision was unfortunate. "I think ultimately the minister has to have some discretion when they need to … be able to change the date," he said. But ASP executive director Jeff Loder says the minister's decision was wrong, and the date change resulted in a delay in the fishery. Association of Seafood Producers executive director Jeff Loder says his organization should have been consulted before Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne pushed the crab price deadline. (Ted Dillon/CBC) "It's never a good day in Newfoundland and Labrador when a minister of the Crown or any government minister acts in a way, makes a decision, that is not consistent with the rules," Loder said Wednesday. Loder says the ASP never was made aware of FFAW's request to delay the price setting date. "At a minimum, there should have been consultation and we could have had a discussion about this," he said. Both the ASP and FFAW submitted their pricing recommendations. The panel hearing began on Apr. 6, and a decision is due on Thursday — the crab season's opening day. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
CBC
07-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Amid protests, quota cuts, and tariff threats, panel set to rule on snow crab prices
Social Sharing Amid quota cuts, protests, a court challenge and the constant uncertainty of a mercurial U.S. president, parties for both sides of the lucrative Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab fishery have submitted their price recommendations. Now, they wait. In a social media post on Sunday, the Fish Food and Allied Workers union said the price setting panel hearing on snow crab began that morning. The union is asking the panel for a starting price of $4.97 per pound this season. In the same post, the union said the Association of Seafood Producers is asking the panel for a starting price of $4.50 per pound. "Everyone hears about $5, $6, even $7 crab, so nobody is terribly thrilled at the idea of $4.97, and even less thrilled at the idea of $4.50," said Ray Critch, a negotiator and policy manager for the FFAW. "But just to make sure that floor is there should there be a bit of softness in the market, we wanted to make sure it was a reasonable floor that the panel would be more likely to accept rather than what we think are the deflated — artificially deflated — prices from the ASP." No one from the ASP was available for an interview. The snow crab fishery is the province's most lucrative fishery — worth about $476 million in 2024 — and also one of its most fraught. Last year, a price dispute led to violent protests outside of Confederation Building in St. John's, and forced the province to delay the annual budget. Last month, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans increased the total allowable catch by nine per cent, but cut the quota in division 3K — down almost 25 per cent to 7,643 tonnes — and in subdivision 3Ps by about 16 per cent. In response, harvesters protested at the office of federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, and the St. John's Convention Centre, where Liberal Leader Mark Carney was campaigning. The DFO ultimately did not back away from the quota cuts. Meanwhile, the price setting panel is considering both offers against the backdrop of an ongoing Canada-U.S. trade war. Jeff Loder, the executive director of the ASP, has said they're proposing two prices, depending on whether or not the U.S. enacts tariffs. WATCH | FFAW negotiator talks about the unions tariff planning: FFAW snow crab submission includes tariff contingency plans 5 hours ago Duration 0:46 Panel hearings on snow crab prices are happening now. But this year, they're happening in the shadow of a trade war. Both the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union and the Association of Seafood Producers are taking tariff threats into account. Critch says the FFAW has "built in a direct tariff proposal" and that if there are tariffs then harvesters would agree to accept 30 per cent of any tariff that's out there. "The distributors, and more importantly the consumers, will likely also have to bear some of the burden of tariffs," he said. "Perhaps more importantly, we also included a clause that says if the bottom really does drop out of the economy and the season … that would automatically bring everybody back to the table to renegotiate." The panel should make a decision on price on Wednesday — the same day the ASP, the FFAW and the Newfoundland and Labrador government will be in court to hear a decision on whether the province's fisheries minister had the authority to change a key date for this year's fishery without consulting both the union and processors.
CBC
03-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Seafood producers confident in court challenge against N.L. government, fisheries union
Justice Alexander MacDonald will make a decision next week The Association of Seafood Producers had its first day in court on Wednesday, challenging the Newfoundland and Labrador government and fisheries union over what it calls " political interference" during price setting negotiations ahead of the snow crab season. The court challenge was prompted when Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne moved the price setting deadline to April 13, following a request from the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union. The ASP says Byrne acted contrary to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act and turned to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador to quash the date change. "If the minister's decision is quashed, and we expect it to be because he broke the law, then we're in the situation where we don't have a minister's date," ASP executive director Jeff Loder told reporters outside of the court house on Wednesday. "The Supreme Court can't direct a panel date or can't direct, necessarily, a minister's date. So this is the chaos that's created when you have interference in a process." Wednesday's court appearance was focused on the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act and whether or not the minister can change the date without input from both the FFAW and ASP. Justice Alexander MacDonald said he will have a decision next week. 'Wasted time' FFAW lawyer Ray Critch called the court challenge a waste of time, money and energy. He says the minister can move the date without input from both sides. "We think the legislation is fairly clear that he does have authority and more importantly, as a practical reality, the minister has to be able to adjust the date when there are emergency circumstances like a significant linchpin negotiator falling ill," he said. Snow crab is Newfoundland and Labrador's largest and most lucrative fishery, said Critch, and that price negotiations will continue. He says he's ready for a panel meeting on Sunday or Monday. If the decision for date setting is in the minister's hands, Critch said that will prevent one party from being able to "hijack" the process. Tariff troubles Another looming problem over the price setting negotiations has been U.S. President Donald Trump, his threats of tariffs and the ambiguity over what products could be impacted. Loder says there has to be a mechanism to deal with tariffs and the ASP was proposing two prices, depending on whether tariffs are enacted. Later on Wednesday, Trump revealed the countries he was targeting in his expanding trade war, which did not include Canada. There are also exceptions for importers who can prove the products they're bringing in from Canada are compliant with the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement. "After today, ASP's position will change whether there are tariffs or not — how we deal with tariffs has to be into the collective agreement or I will not be signing it," said Loder ahead of Trump's announcement. Critch said one problem with the on-again-off-again tariff threats is the uncertainty of how the market will absolve the new costs. He said consumers, distributors, processors and FFAW members will likely bear some of those costs. "Our position is there has to be some accounting for tariffs and we're building that into our proposal as well. But how those tariffs play out, nobody knows yet," said Critch.
