I wasn’t going to say anything. I *was* going to keep my mouth shut, and stay
out of it. But after seeing some of the
comments...well, that went right out the window.
I would say that I don’t want to offend anyone, but
let’s be honest. People only say that when
they know what they’re about to say/do IS going to offend someone. But I’m not really worried about that. I feel the need to get my two cents worth in,
and if you don’t like what I’ve got to say – too bad.
I’ve seen people mouthing off, without knowing the
facts. I’m not saying that I know them
all, but I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp on it all.
“It’s shameful”.
“There must have been a better way”.
“What a waste”. “Look at what the
fishermen did, just because they were ‘upset’”.
Upset? That’s
a mild word for it all.
What was done today was done in protest. There is a tie-up ongoing, and this was a
slap in the face for the fishermen supporting each other while it’s ongoing.
Why is there a tie-up? To the best of my understanding, it’s due to
the abysmal price of $1.83 for PREMUIM crab.
Before you jump down my throat, let me clarify something. Before the crab season was set to open
(again, this is how I understood it – I might be wrong), the processors were
touting prices over the $2 mark. But
when it came time to sit down and set a price for this season, suddenly, all
they could ‘afford’ was $1.83.
Meetings were held.
Lots of meetings were held.
Rallies were held. More
meetings. The consensus was that this
wasn’t going to be acceptable. At
all. So, a tie-up. Fishermen are tired of being dictated to by
the buyers. It’s just a modern version
of the merchant system, no better, just different.
It’s my understanding that the crab in question was
from the west coast. It’s also my
understanding that the crab fishery on the west coast isn’t the bigger fishery,
as it is here on the east coast.
$1.83/lb isn’t going to make or break them. $1.83 will BREAK fishermen on the east coast,
for whom the majority of their income comes from the crab fishery.
Why can’t we stop ragging on the fishery? We should be supporting the fishermen. The fishery is a source of new money in our
economy. The fishery is what BUILT this province! We should remember that the fishery is still
the backbone of our province and yes, the economy. What the processors are doing is as effective
as trying to break our collective backs.
Was it a waste?
Probably not, as I’m told that the crab wasn’t fit to process in the
first place. Out of 30 000 pounds, there
MIGHT have been 1 000 pounds of live crab.
I don’t know about you, but you couldn’t pay me to eat shellfish that’s
been dead for who knows how long.
A better way?
Maybe. Maybe not. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
As for saying that if there are fishermen willing to
sell for $1.83, they should be allowed to do so. As I said, $1.83 might be fine for someone
who doesn’t depend on the crab for the majority of their yearly income. Should
we doom some to lose most of their income, just because a few want to sell at
the current price?
Fishermen would
rather be fishing. But should they put
their lives on the line for nothing?
They are taking a stand, and I for one, will stand with them.
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