Smashed traps, busted markets

Port Saunders and Port au Choix fishermen woke up to a mess on May 15.

Winds gusting to 60 knots had caused large swells that dragged lobster traps along the bottom before pulverizing them on the beach.

The Ingornachoix Bay area fishermen had gone on a four-day strike the day before, in solidarity with lobster fishermen, to demand higher lobster prices.

The 32 lobster licence holders in Port Saunders and Port au Choix work 300 lobster traps each. While fisherman Ken Ryan didn't know how many were destroyed in total, he said some had lost up to half of their traps.

"If it wasn't for the tie-up we could have had our gear moved to deeper water," said Mr. Ryan.

The strike was organized by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers' (FFAW) union to protest lobster prices that had dropped to $3 lb. - their lowest point in many years. While it received support from many of the fishermen who voted on the plan - Mr. Ryan says fishermen in the area didn't get a chance.

"We never had no say. We heard we were tying up on the radio while we were on the way to the meeting to vote on it. Everyone here in Port Saunders disagreed with tying up," said Mr. Ryan. "But they blackmailed us into it by telling us that we would be the only community in Newfoundland not to tie up. It seems there's 12-15 fishermen making decisions for everybody else."

Fishermen's organizations from Quebec and the other Maritime provinces made public statements supporting Newfoundland and Labrador's strike action without following the example. Their representatives joined FFAW president Earle McCurdy last week in emergency meetings with the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea and their provincial fisheries ministers.

Mr. McCurdy explained that the point of the strike was two-fold - to tell buyers prices were too low and to show the federal government that the industry needs help.

"The federal minister essentially showed up at the meetings empty-handed," said Mr. McCurdy. "To date the federal government position is completely unhelpful, unrealistic."

In the short-term the FFAW is asking for Employment Insurance (EI) claims to be calculated this fall based on 2008 earnings. As well they'd like to see immediate relief provided with a retroactive payment through the EI system.

That, he argues, would take pressure off fishermen and allow them to put less lobster into an already overcrowded market.

"To me it doesn't help putting oversupply into a market overburdened with built up inventory," said Mr. McCurdy. "In the long-term the lobster industry needs a fleet rationalization program and market product development. There's not enough raw material to allow a reasonable income for licence holders. But we have to survive the short-term to get to the long-term - there's families doing without, going through severe hardship and it's not being recognized."

When asked whether a recession would rationalize the fleet by forcing some fishermen out, Mr. McCurdy responded, "hard times don't create fleet rationalization - it might mean that this year some people don't operate but their licences don't go away. The problems in the lobster industry are caused by the same problems that arose in other sectors - like the banking and auto industries - and those industries received hundreds of billions of dollars in government support."

As of last Thursday fishermen were getting $3.25 lb. - still below the $5 lb. mark the union argues is needed for fishing to be viable.

As for Mr. Ryan, he's got no choice but to continue fishing. The seal hunt that usually provides the start-up money for the season, was a bust this year. Fishermen's EI claims have run out and they have no choice but to catch and sell their lobster into an overcrowded market.

"Do you call me when things are going well?" he asked the Pen reporter.