The FFAW is doubling down on their assertion that harvesters will fish for nothing less than their “fair share” this season.
Earlier today FFAW leadership, as well as harvesters spoke with media outlining their concerns with the Association of Seafood Producers’ formula and the proposed price for this season.
President Greg Pretty says the issue is not just about a base price, it is about a system which he believes is “built to work against fish harvesters, plant workers, and coastal communities. ”
Graphs provided by the union show stark differences between the price that was actually paid in previous years, vs what it would be with the ASP formula.
For example, the peak actual price in 2019 was $5.38, with the ASP formula it would have been $4.32.
Overall, the difference in value for the overall season would have been $65.8-million.
John Efford, a fish harvester who helped organize the Confederation Building protests, says last year he made zero profit, and “it has to be horrible for anybody that has put any investment into this fishery in the last few years.” Efford notes that general business models require a 30 per cent profit to make a venture “survivable.”
Glen Winslow, of the Inshore Council and Bargaining Committee, says while Efford broke even last year, he lost money.
Winslow explains that some of the recent costs he has incurred include $20,000 to fuel up his vessel, $35,000 on insurance, and $10,000 for his licenses. As well, he says that doesn’t include the cost of repairs to equipment over the winter. Last fall he put his vessel on dock, and when he went to pick it up he had a bill of $146,000.