Around 100 fish harvesters crowded the St. John’s Convention Centre lobby, one hour ahead of Liberal leader Mark Carney’s first election rally. However, Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson agreed to meet with three FFAW members, diffusing the situation.
As a result, FFAW leadership told protesters to the leave the lobby, and stay outside.
The group has been remaining peaceful with security and police keeping a close eye, inside and outside the building. Some harvesters say they have come from out of town for today’s protest.
FFAW president Dwan Street, along with harvesters Glen Newbury, Richard Gillett, Chad Payne, and Rodney Burton will be meeting with Thompson shortly.
An earlier version of this story is below:
Newfoundland and Labrador’s fish harvesters quickly rallied on Sunday afternoon following cuts to the snow crab fishery and what they call the Liberals’ mismanagement of the fisheries.
About 100 people crowd gathered peacefully outside federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson’s campaign office in St. John’s with the hope of receiving an explanation for major cuts to harvesting snow crab in the 3K area. The division is losing almost a quarter of last year’s total allowable catch at 7,643 tonnes, down from 9,998 tonnes in 2024.
Fish, Food, and Allied Workers (FFAW) president Dwan Street said she was cautiously optimistic about Thompson taking on the fisheries portfolio.
She hoped that Thompson, a fellow Newfoundlander, would make decisions to benefit communities in her province.
“I have never in my life seen the shine come off a fisheries minister as fast as I have with Minister Thompson,” Street said. “It was a political win. She was handed a golden opportunity.”
The crowd invited Thompson and Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will be in St. John’s this evening for his first campaign rally at the St. John’s Convention Centre, to address protesters.
FFAW In-shore president Jason Sullivan said the Liberals are killing rural Newfoundland.
“No one gives a f – – – about Newfoundland,” Sullivan told the crowd. “When you find carbon tax Carney this evening, you’ve got to show him you’re not weak.”
More to come.
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.
