Newfoundland and Labrador fishermen strike deal with government allowing catch to be sold outside province
Fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador have been protesting for weeks over their ability to sell their catch to buyers outside of the province.
On Wednesday, fishermen and their supporters blocked the entrance to the Confederation Building in an effort to halt the government from introducing its budget. Police on horseback were called to the scene in an effort to ease tensions and keep the peace.
Protests have been ongoing since early March, which began over crab harvests and have now spilled into other fisheries.
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This morning, an agreement was reached with the province that will allow fish harvesters to sell their catch to out-of-province buyers, a move people in the local fishing industry say is essential. The agreement will apply to all species of fish.
As reported by the CBC, one of the leaders of the protests named John Efford Jr., who is also a member of the fisheries union, spoke to reporters about the consequential agreement and its implications.
"We got 'er done. Free enterprise for every species," he said.
Efford went on to say, "I think we're there. Again, there may be some small, fine-tuning that has to be done. But essentially I think we're there."
The protesters are demanding the right to sell their fish outside of Newfoundland. Do you agree with them? pic.twitter.com/ZWobZKpBIk
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As part of the agreement, the provincial government also reportedly committed to "moving caps on processing to promote competition within the industry."
Outside buyers will also be required to apply to the Newfoundland and Labrador government before purchasing fish from the province.
The protests in the province began in early March and were originally focused on crab harvests, however the demonstrations quickly grew to include others areas of fishery.
