SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [Seafoodnews.com] By Jack MacAndrew — May 14, 2013 — The lobster fishermen of western Prince Edward Island are on the water again today after six days ashore, while counterparts in eastern ports of the province remain tied up.
Some fishermen in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are also reported to be fishing again , while others are hanging in with the strike action.
The Islanders decided to break the solidarity of the historic strike action during votes taken at individual ports last night, saying that the tie-up had not achieved the higher prices for their catch that all the fishermen had sought.
Their action obviously means the solidarity sought by President Mike McGeoghegan and the PEI Fishermen's Association has been shattered, and there will be hard feelings between fishermen .
Today , processors will be calling in workers to deal with a glut of lobster arriving at harbours in the western end of the province.
The breakdown of the strike actually began yesterday when about 100 fishermen belonging to the Tignish Fishermen's Co – Op went fishing and delivered their catches to Co-Op owned North Star Fisheries.
At a meeting with PEIFA representatives , held in Charlottetown yesterday ,Premier Robert Ghiz instructed his officials to determine whether a provincial Low Interest Loan Program might be used to assist PEI fishermen protesting low prices.
Immediate help would come in the form of a freeze on repayment of any loans taken out under the government's Low Interest Loan Program program by PEI based fishermen participating in the spring fishery.
A government media release says the discussions moderated by Premier Ghiz were " productive".
PEIFA President Mike mcGeoghegan was less enthusiastic , telling a CBC television interviewer that yesterday's discussions, "…would have been nicer if they were more productive… and "…definitely didn't deal with what's at hand today. " A PEIFA request that the government consider topping up prices fishermen are getting got short shrift , and was quickly taken off the table.
Premier Ghiz says in his media release that; " Government will continue its role in facilitating discussions.The only way to resolve the impasse is through dialogue…and it is clear that everyone involved is seeking a reasonable solution. "
To that end , the Premier will retain a former Provincial Auditor General to examine price structures of lobster in Atlantic Canada, volumes of landings , and current market conditions.
With this effort , according to the Premier , "…it is hoped that the complicated pricing structures of live and processed lobster will be better understood by everyone involved in the industry".
The Premier has also directed PEI Fisheries Minister Ron MacKinley to open up discussions with his counterparts in Atlantic Canada and federal government Minister Keith Ashfield "… to develop an industry wide approach to this matter".
The President of the PEI Seafood processors Association says his members have been hurting as well as the fishermen. Workers have been calling in daily to find out whether they have work.
Workers brought to PEI under the federal government's Temorary Foreign Worker program present an additional problem.They are contract workers and have come to Canada guaranteed a certain number of weeks of work. Mr. Malloy says ; " We may have to bring in product to give them work." Now he will not need to do that.
The fishermen's action today forestalls a tension – filled tinder box situation, that was becoming more explosive with each passing day of idleness ashore; but the failure of the strike action does not bode well for the PEI Fishermen's Association.
It certainly will be perceived by many that by holding fast to their original offer on price , the processors and buyers have won out ; in the short term at least.
Mr. Malloy maintains the processors are not involved in the current meetings: " We don't have any involvement to make, " he says," We can't afford to lose money." That's a no – to any form of negotiation on price with the fishermen.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.