Newfoundland and Labrador trade union The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) has slammed the ongoing campaign by Oceana Canada to undermine the sustainable and economically critical mackerel and capelin fisheries – and is calling on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to exclude groups like Oceana from the stakeholder advisory tables.
‘Oceana’s latest attack on the mackerel and capelin fishery once again demonstrates their disregard for the realities faced by rural coastal communities and the professionals who steward these resources. Their narrative, driven by outdated data, misleading assumptions, and ideological extremism, seeks to shut down fisheries that are sustainably managed, tightly regulated, and vital to local economies,’ said FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) moved capelin from the critical to the cautious zone in 2024, acknowledging improved biomass levels. All the same – Oceana clings to outdated figures to fit what FFAW-Unifor describes as a predetermined narrative. The same goes for the Atlantic mackerel fishery, also in Oceana’s sights.
‘Oceana has ignored the extensive, firsthand knowledge of inshore harvesters,’ Dwan Street said, commenting that fish harvesters with decades of experience have reported a resurgence of mackerel stocks, including widespread presence of juvenile and spawning fish across Newfoundland and Labrador, which paint a very different picture than Oceana’s doomsday narrative.
FFAW-Unifor continues to maintain its firm opposition to the current moratorium and limited bait fishery for Atlantic mackerel, stating that the decision to close the commercial fishery is out of step with the reality harvesters are seeing on the water.
‘Oceana Canada has no direct connection to these fisheries. They do not hold licences, they do not process fish, and they do not contribute to local employment or the rural economy. Their offices are far removed from the realities of coastal Newfoundland and Labrador, yet they attempt to dictate policy from a distance without accountability, and without the lived experience of the people whose futures hang in the balance,’ Dwan Street said.
‘Oceana’s aggressive campaigns seem less concerned with the health of our coastal waters and more aligned with maintaining funding and appealing to donors who have no connection to Newfoundland and Labrador or its inshore fishery. While fish harvesters fight to sustain rural economies and preserve their communities, Oceana appears more interested in preserving its brand and fundraising goals.’
